A title like It’s Kind of a Funny Story seems to describe just about every indie drama that has been released in the past six years or so: a little funny, a little sad, mostly just a slice of life on display, with all the ups and downs attached.

Writer/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the creators of the Academy Award-nominated Half-Nelson and the recently released Sugar, start production on their new film this week, which stars The United States of Tara’s Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Viola Davis, Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lenny!), Aasif Mandvi, Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan.

Based on Ned Vizzini’s 2006 novel, Focus Features’ It’s Kind of a Funny Story will center on

“16-year-old Craig (Gilchrist), stressed out from the demands of being a teenager, checks himself into a mental health clinic. There he learns that the youth ward is closed – and finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Galifianakis), soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old, Noelle (Roberts). With a minimum five days’ stay imposed on him, Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up. Viola Davis plays Dr. Minerva, the adult ward’s staff psychiatrist; Kravitz portrays Nia, Craig’s longtime crush; Mandvi is cast as Dr. Mahmoud, a hospital psychiatrist; and Graham and Gaffigan play Craig’s parents, Lynn and George.”

While the press release doesn’t do much to make the film sound distinct from the rest of the pack, this sort of film thrives on performances and execution, so whether Boden and Fleck have something on their hands or not will be revealed closer to when their film is released in November of next year.

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