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'Brigsby Bear'

U.S. Dramatic; 97 minutes.

A return to normal life takes a turn into moviemaking weirdness in "Brigsby Bear," a merrily awkward comedy from some of the minds at "Saturday Night Live."

James (Kyle Mooney, who co-wrote with Kevin Costello), at 25, spends most of his time watching his favorite TV show, "Brigsby Bear Adventures," and recapping the episodes online. He watches the show on VHS, which he receives in a weekly drop, due to the fact that he lives in a bunker with his parents (Mark Hamill, Jane Adams) waiting for the Earth's surface to become habitable once again.

Then the FBI shows up, and James learns the truth of what's going on — a mix of "The Truman Show" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" — and that he is the only human to have ever watched "Brigsby Bear Adventures."

While trying to settle in with his real parents (Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins) and sister Aubrey (Ryan Simpkins), James has encounters with the cop investigating his case (Greg Kinnear) and the counselor (Claire Danes) helping his transition to normal life.

James, confused by this "normal" life, wants to go back to the one thing that makes sense to him: Brigsby Bear. With the help of Aubrey and some of her high-school friends, James aims to make a movie that completes the Brigsby saga once and for all.

Director Dave McCary, an "SNL" writer and segment director, zeroes in on the offbeat wavelength of Mooney and Costello's script, which may be the most bizarrely funny thing to come out of Sundance since "Napoleon Dynamite." The script also has a sweet core, as other characters gradually join in on James' odd dream.

Filming in Utah turned out to be a perfect move, since the state gives the film both the otherworldly landscapes of Brigsby's universe and the pleasant suburbia of James' "normal" life. (Extra points for shooting in the Tower Theatre, where the movie will screen Friday night.)

The movie boasts a smart, funny ensemble cast — with Kinnear, Simpkins, Kate Lyn Sheil and Andy Samburg as standouts. But the heart of "Brigsby Bear" is Mooney, who approaches every scene with a wide-eyed enthusiasm that makes James' crazy journey make perfect sense.

– Sean P. Means —

Also showing:

"Brigsby Bear" screens again at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at the following times and venues:

• Wednesday, Jan. 25, 11:30 a.m., Egyptian Theatre, Park City

• Thursday, January 26, 9:15 p.m., Temple Theatre, Park City

• Friday, January 27, 6 p.m., Tower Theatre, Salt Lake City

• Saturday, January 28, 8:30 a.m., The MARC, Park City