A Futile and Stupid Gesture

• Comedy
• Drama

A bittersweet comedy-drama charting the rise and self-destruction of Doug Kenney, co-founder of *National Lampoon*, this film isn’t a typical biographical celebration but a wry, often painful exploration of comedic genius inextricably linked to profound personal instability. It unfolds with a fragmented, meta-narrative structure, weaving documentary-style interviews with dramatizations of Kenney’s increasingly erratic behavior, emphasizing the isolating paradox of a man who made millions laughing at the world while battling his inner demons. The film portrays Kenney not as a charismatic icon, but as a deeply flawed individual trapped by his own success and the pressure to constantly innovate, resulting in a poignant and unsettling portrait of artistic ambition and the fragility of the creative spirit. It’s a surprisingly melancholic look at the birth of subversive comedy, steeped in the disillusionment of the 70s and the complicated relationship between humor and heartache.