‘Funny Story’: Put 3 comedians in a psych ward, add tangled love, stir till warm feeling

There are three stand-up comedians in the cast of "It's Kind of a Funny Story," a movie about a suicidal teen who checks himself into a psych ward.

Danger, you're thinking.

"Crazy People," you're thinking, with Dudley Moore.

Or "Loose Cannons," possibly the worst buddy movie ever, starring Gene Hackman as a cop whose partner has multiple personality disorder, interpreted by Dan Aykroyd as a compulsion for celebrity impressions.

A simple formula tends to apply. Mental illness + comedian = probable bad taste.

Good news. "It's Kind of a Funny Story," though often played for laughs, mostly avoids the trap of the schtick. In fact, a highlight is Zach Galifianakis' supporting performance as an unstable patient, even though it's only a few degrees from his turn in "The Hangover."

The lead belongs to Keir Gilchrist ("The United States of Tara") as Craig, a stressed-out teen who begins to fear for his safety and sanity due to recurring, vivid dreams of jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge.

He's admitted to a hospital for several days' evaluation, and though he changes his mind, he learns he cannot check out (though he can receive visits from his parents, Jim Gaffigan and Lauren Graham).

The staff psychiatrist (Viola Davis) first requires Craig to complete a weeklong course of meditation and evaluation. As he befriends and observes the other patients, the movie (directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck) paints a broad, comic sketch of life in the ward.

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is adapted from Ned Vizzini's semiautobiographical novel for young people, and features a tangled love story or two. Craig is visited by the girl he thinks he wants (Zoe Kravitz), causing problems with the young patient (Emma Roberts) he actually likes.

That seems to be more female interest than is warranted by Gilchrist's charisma (he seems like a generic Justin Long), which is a bit of a problem for "Funny Story."

What Gilchrist does convey, though, is Craig's inherent decency, and the movie, for all its flaws, ends on a note of compassion and goodwill that feels earned, and honest.