'Shrink' review

Kevin Spacey (Credit: Jihan Abdalla/Roadside Attractions)

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Shrink-to-the-stars Henry (Kevin Spacey) is a Hollywood hit: His A-list clients include actors and high-powered agents, he's written a Dr. Phil–ish best-seller called "Stop Feeling Sad," and his slick Hollywood Hills house stands as a reminder that, well, your house sucks. But not all is well in La-La Land. Henry's personal life is in the crapper, and it's only getting worse. He's soon jolted out of his catatonia after deciding to work with a disturbed teenage girl (Keke Palmer)—but not before undergoing a cataclysmic meltdown right out of the Robert Downey Jr. playbook. Hey, it's L.A.!

The buzz: If you've ever wanted to sit in on a Tinseltown therapy session (or, at least an amped-up version of one), here's your chance. The film also features an uncredited cameo by Robin Williams, who, in a fun twist, won an Oscar for playing a shrink in "Good Will Hunting." (All together now: "It's not your fault! It's not your fault!")

The verdict: Celebrities and celebrity shrinks—they're just like us! Only more screwed up! Spacey does an admirable job of looking properly sullen and disheveled as Henry, who spends his days getting strung out on pot while attempting to evade his personal demons. But the main draw of "Shrink" is its mishmash of outré characters whose lives fatefully intersect, from a wound-up wannabe writer (Mark Webber) to a paranoid movie agent (Dallas Roberts) to an alcoholic sexaholic (Williams). Think of it like "Crash," except the people here have pay-or-play deals and a cut of first-dollar gross. The problem is, everything falls into place so serendipitously, so perfectly, so Hollywood-y, that by the time you reach the film's improbable ending, you're left reeling at the absurdity of it all. Clearly, "Shrink" has issues, and you don't have to be a pop psychiatrist to arrive at that final analysis.

Did you know? Oscar Best Original Song alert: The film's soundtrack features an original ditty by Jackson Browne called "Here," complete with a music video that pulls clips from the movie. Note to the Academy: If you nominate this, please spare us the dancing Freuds.

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