Suicide common theme in Sundance films

PARK CITY , Utah, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Suicide is a running theme in many of the movies screening at the Sundance film festival in Park City, Utah.

More than 15 entries at the festival, many of them comedies, feature characters considering, attempting or actually killing themselves, the The Hollywood Reporter said said Tuesday.

Among the films that share this theme are "In Bruges," "The Merry Gentleman," "What Just Happened?," "The Last Word," "I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster" and "The Wackness."

"Comedies with suicide are just a phenomenon this year," the festival's director of programming,John Cooper, told the Reporter. "In 'Birds of America,' one of the brothers once attempted suicide. His siblings are always saying they should check up on him to see if he committed suicide. It's all very matter-of-fact with deadpan humor."

Festival Director Geoff Gilmore said suicide is frequently a popular theme at Sundance.

"Every year, the programmers post a list of the number of films with suicide in them, and it's always the biggest list of all the themes," Gilmore said. "Talk about a staple of independent cinema."