Writer and Director John Krasinski’s IF is very flawed and I loved it. Oh yeah. At times, John overplays the Dad of Bea, played by genuine Cailey Flemming, who is the center of the IF narrative. Much like the prologue of Disney’s Up, the first 5 minutes of IF is the love story of Bea, her Dad, and her Mother, played by kind beautiful Catherine Daddario. Without many words, we profoundly get that Bea’s Mother loved her with all her heart. Her Mom had cancer and passed away when she was a child.
Now 12 years-old, Bea returns home to New York to live with her Grandmother, played by gentle Fiona Shaw. Bea visits her Dad in the hospital, awaiting surgery. Perhaps, critical heart surgery. He is dying. Her Dad dances into his room with his transfusion stand. That’s way too much, “I’m dying with a smile.” John Krasinski’s direction and screenplay are often misplaced in the first 2 acts. Much of IF’s imperfections is on him. Still, he redeems in the end.
Fortunately, IF possesses Cailey’s authentic childhood wisdom in Bea. Having none of her Dad’s heroic false levity, she says, “It’s not always fun.” No, life is not for Bea. She lost her Mom. Now, she may lose her Dad. She is scared as hell. She’s just a kid, trying to do her best.
IF stands for Imaginary Friend, the imaginary friends that we outgrew when we were kids. What happens to those IFs? Well apparently, they live in Coney Island waiting to find new children or disappear.
Calvin, played by Ryan Reynolds, and discarded IF Blossom, voiced by sweet and funny Phoebe Waller-Bridge, find Bea. She’s the Chosen One, the one who can place discarded IFs with new children in need. Think of it as an imaginary friend placement agency.
The late Louis Gossett Jr. voices IF leader Lewis with caring gravitas. Sitting together at sunset, Lewis tells Bea that everyone needs their IFs when they grow up. He says, “Memories are forever.” But does that mean we all need our IFs back? Really?
IF provides amazing voice talent with Emily Blunt as Unicorn, George Clooney as Spaceman, Matt Damon as Flower, among others. Director Krasinski throws a lot of shiny objects at us. Some of them miss. As a little girl, Fiona’s Grandmother wanted to be a dancer. When she reunites with her IF dancing muse Blossom that seems a bit forced and self-important.
What works and drives IF, is the authentic fostering relationship of Ryan’s Calvin and Cailey’s Bea. Ryan is nuanced in his comic restrain and unconditional love for Bea. That becomes transparent in IF’s narrative twist. The surprising narrative tipping point is big squishy furry Blue (who is really purple), brilliantly and hysterically voiced by Steve Carell.
In the touching narrative arc, Blue reunites with his grown-up kid Jeremy, played with nervous worry by Bobby Moynihan. Jeremy fears inside about his important job interview. Blue quietly places his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. Jeremy’s face lightens up. He says, “I’m gonna be okay.” I cried. I’ve been Jeremy, many times.
IF is not literally about never giving up your Imaginary Friend as we grow up in life. Rather, we all can return to that place when we were children, where we were safe to just be. There you believe that you can, because you could. We ask, “What if?” where everything is possible. As Bea says, “The most important stories are the ones you tell yourself.” The imaginary friend is just you believing in yourself. That makes IF something very special and worth seeing.