The initial releases - theater and home combined - grossed about $700,000 worldwide. The producers aren't telling what the budget was. Who knows if the revenue covered the production cost. But it sure didn't come close to the $5 million Sony pitched in to distribute it. Maybe they're hoping that over time it'll become a cult classic online.

I hope so too. The film deserves success. It's a spirited paean of praise to the transformative power of art and imagination. Of course the "plausibles," as Hitchcock called them, don't warm up to it. But for those willing to be carried along by a vibrant and positive vision, told with a quiet sense of humor, Brigsby Bear hits all the right notes.

BRIGSBY BEAR (2017) *** 1/2 Kyle Mooney, Mark Hamill, Jane Adams, Greg Kinnear, Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins, Ryan Simpkins, Alexa Demie, Claire Danes, Beck Bennett, Andy Samberg. Dramedy wunderkind that's nearly impossible to describe let alone believe it works so well: a young man (Mooney well-serving the source material) who was abducted as a child by a caring, creative couple (Hamill & Adams) is found and re-united with his anxious real family but finds acclimating back into the real world an incredible chore due to the fact his entire 'world' revolves around a fictional kids' TV series about the titular character and realizes he can be someone by adapting the show into a movie with the help of his new friends and reluctant family members. Funny, bittersweet and truly original with whimsy and heart largely thanks to director Dave McCary and the wonderfully conceived screenplay co-written by Mooney and Kevin Costello. Kudos to production designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly for getting the right balance of '80s cheese just right balancing nostalgia in all its fuzzy glory. A real indie gem.

"Brigsby Bear" is one of the more original movies I've ever seen....and for that reason alone, it's well worth watching. However, I also should point out that some of the plot and characters don't make a lot of sense...as if the story could have used a slight re-write before they began filming.

The story begins in a nice home with two parents and their grown son, James (Kyle Mooney). However, you also realize that they are locked into some sort of shelter-like home and soon the FBI barge in and arrest the parents. You then learn that they are NOT James' parents but folks who kidnapped him as a baby. To prevent him leaving, they created a strange bunker world and convinced him that the outside world was filled with poisonout gas! They also made their own music and TV show just for James...and James loves the over 700 episodes of "Brigsby Bear" they made him!

So why do I have mixed feelings about this movie? Well, because it made little sense AFTER the man was rescued and brought to his biological family. They only went to family counseling sometime AFTER this reunion...and, not surprisingly, the reunion did not go well. You would think there would have been TONS of counseling and education done with James and his new family to make the transition work well....but he was just tossed in and folks acted surprised when things didn't go well. Additionally, a few of the characters made little sense...such as the police detective (Greg Kinnear) or the biological father.

Now my complaints, though valid, do NOT negate all the good in the film. Mooney is wonderful as James, the film kept me guessing and after a rough transition, things DO get better...so just hold on and enjoy the ride. Well worth seeing, though the film could have been brilliant. As is, it's just very good but flawed.