A Futile and Stupid Gesture
2018 · 101 min · Director: David Wain
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
An old version of humorist Douglas Kenney tells the story of how he and Henry Beard parleyed their success in their campus magazine, Harvard Lampoon, into the commercial magazine, National Lampoon. Drawing upon their checkered lives and an aggressively puckish sense of humor, the pair created a publication that would redefine American comedy with outrageous drollery that grabbed the zeitgeist of the decade that expanded across various media. Unfortunately, for all his success, Doug Kenney with his overhanging insecurities, ego and irresponsible appetites began to consume him until he alienates everyone who ever cared and supported him even as they imitated him. In the end, this iconoclastic funnyman would come to a tragedy that comes when your comedy doesn't have enough distance.
Emotional fingerprint
A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 35%, Nostalgia 20%, Anxiety 15%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Humor35%
- Nostalgia20%
- Anxiety15%
- Empathy15%
- Melancholy15%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Humor, Nostalgia, Anxiety. Genres: Comedy, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Nostalgia and Anxiety. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 67/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Sadness
- Humor
- Empathy
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Sadness | Humor | Empathy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Humor | 44 % | 5 % | 42 % | 13 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Humor | 43 % | 8 % | 41 % | 14 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 13′ | Humor | 39 % | 6 % | 37 % | 13 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Humor | 41 % | 4 % | 40 % | 10 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Humor | 46 % | 8 % | 44 % | 11 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 28′ | Humor | 46 % | 12 % | 42 % | 15 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 33′ | Humor | 45 % | 16 % | 35 % | 21 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 38′ | Tension | 49 % | 26 % | 29 % | 30 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Sadness | 50 % | 32 % | 32 % | 33 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Humor | 51 % | 34 % | 37 % | 34 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Sadness | 53 % | 34 % | 36 % | 36 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 58′ | Humor | 49 % | 22 % | 38 % | 30 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Humor | 46 % | 11 % | 41 % | 20 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 68′ | Humor | 48 % | 9 % | 40 % | 17 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 73′ | Humor | 48 % | 16 % | 36 % | 22 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Tension | 53 % | 30 % | 33 % | 32 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Sadness | 60 % | 46 % | 27 % | 46 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Sadness | 68 % | 61 % | 19 % | 58 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 93′ | Sadness | 72 % | 66 % | 21 % | 59 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 98′ | Sadness | 67 % | 57 % | 27 % | 52 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
John Belushi
Harold Ramis
Details
- Directed by
- David Wain
- Written by
- Michael Colton, John Aboud, Josh Karp
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2018
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
Feels similar
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