This is where I come to make my confessions, so here we go.  My seeing IF results from wanting to make sure I was getting the most out of my AMC A-List Membership.  I had an extra ticket left this week. Paramount decided not to screen this for critics in my area in advance, and I figured why not take myself on a ‘me date’ to see this new family fantasy written and directed by John Krasinski.  I could upgrade to a deluxe theater and, not having seen many trailers for it, would be going in mostly blind to the plot and cast – a pleasant Thursday situation and a rare treat of an evening.

While I can see why Paramount wasn’t incessantly knocking down our doors to get the word out on IF beforehand, I can also understand why the big-hearted chunk of applesauce that it is wouldn’t need any pull quotes to sell it, either.  Kids would look at the poster and advertising materials and see the appeal. At the same time, parents could read the names of the cast members who appear or provide a voice (a minuscule fraction of the number of famous voices you’ll hear throughout) and decide that this would make for a pleasant experience for the whole gang.  

Cinema has long cherished tales of imaginary friends and taken different approaches to presenting them.  From the overgrown rabbit in 1950’s Harvey to the mischievous antics of 1991’s Drop Dead Fred (filmed in MN!), and down to the heartwarming buddy relationship explored in 1996’s Bogus, filmmakers have pulled out all the stops to show off special effects or let the mind of its audience do the creating through brilliantly realized storytelling. Enter Krasinski’s IF, a new addition to this whimsical genre, where the inspired and the heartfelt intersect in a story that promises great things but winds up delivering only in fits and starts.

Losing her mom at a young age, Bea (the talented Cailey Fleming) faces another challenging time in her family. She has arrived in NYC to stay with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw, Kindred) while her dad (Krasinski, A Quiet Place) receives treatment for a never named illness in a local hospital.  At 12, Bea is wise beyond her years but still a child who needs parenting, and you get the sense she’s gotten used to being the adult in the family based on the frantic antics of her father.  

While at her grandmother’s, she makes a wondrous discovery about the upstairs neighbors.  They are IFs (imaginary friends) abandoned by the children who once cherished them.  Alongside tightly wired neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds, Spirited), who shares her peculiar gift, Bea embarks on a journey to reunite these forgotten buddies with their former friends.  However, in pairing the overlooked with their previous mates, Bea will learn more about herself and growing up through a healthy dose of self-discovery with the help of her extraordinary new friends.

No stranger to finding ways to warm our hearts (hello, Jim and Pam from The Office!), Krasinski flexes his directorial muscles again, bringing his knack for assembling stellar casts to IF. The presence of industry heavyweights lending their voices to the IFs proves his solid influence and sterling reputation in the business. However, this star-filled cast can’t entirely mask the film’s often worrisome pivots away from more serious storytelling. Krasinski appears hesitant to delve into the depths of grief that reinforce Bea’s story, leaving them just out of reach on the sidelines but never letting us forget they are there all the same. The decision to sanitize these harsh realities or refrain from defining them for the sake of comfort undermines what could have been a poignant exploration of loss and healing. Krasinski’s film aspires to inspire bravery in its young heroine but falters by not exhibiting the same courage in its storytelling.

Fleming (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker), tasked with carrying most of the film’s emotional weight, is a gifted young actress, avoiding the cloying cuteness this could have quickly fallen into.  She has some difficult scenes, but her work as Bea is nuanced and engaging, capturing the character’s innocence and determination. As the quirky neighbor, Reynolds provides the expected dose of humor and heart, while Shaw and Alan Kim (Theater Camp), as Benjamin, a boy Bea meets in the hospital, deliver solid supporting performances.

The voice actors, notably Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) as fuzzy purple monster Blue and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s (Solo: A Star Wars Story) humanoid butterfly Blossom, inject vitality into their animated counterparts. However, the script occasionally limits their impact. In one of his last screen appearances, Louis Gossett Jr. (Jaws 3D) is warm and wonderful – stay through the final credits for a tiny tribute to the actor. 

Below the line, Krasinski doesn’t slouch on any aspect of the production.  IF boasts seamless animation that integrates wonderfully with the live-action sequences, creating a visual feat.  The score by Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, known for his work on numerous Pixar films and as the director of Werewolf by Night, is both bouncy and beautiful, perfectly complementing the film’s tone and enhancing its emotional beats.  Costume designer Jenny Eagan (Knives Out) has an eye for matching textures, colors, and fabric in diverse ways to make each actor look eclectic without appearing pretentious or phony.

IF might occupy a bit of a mediocre position due to its lack of commitment to being forthcoming with the facts, but it’s a well-intentioned effort that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve.  It entertains while you’re there but falls short of bopping around in your brain hours after you’ve left the theater.  Nevertheless, the movie is recommended, provided you approach it with a strong dose of caution.  Appreciate it for its strengths while acknowledging what shortcomings are present.