"Is This Thing On?" — Read, Study, & Download The Screenplay by Bradley Cooper & Will Arnett and Mark Chappell
When life falls apart, sometimes the mic is the only place to stand.
"Is This Thing On?" is a quietly funny, sharply observed portrait of reinvention after rupture. Centered on a middle-aged man stumbling into stand-up comedy in the wake of a separation, the screenplay finds humor not in punchlines, but in honesty, discomfort, and the terror of saying something true out loud.
This isn’t a comedy about killing on stage. It’s about bombing, surviving, and coming back anyway.
"Is This Thing On?" — Educator Resources & Study Guide
Comedy Isn’t About Being Funny -- It’s About Being Honest.
The "Is This Thing On?" screenplay is an important lesson in low-stakes, high-truth storytelling. Scenes unfold through awkward pauses, conversational misfires, and emotional vulnerability rather than plot mechanics. It’s an excellent study in character-driven comedy, tonal restraint, naturalistic dialogue, and how personal pain becomes material without turning cynical.
→ Download the full Educator Breakdown (PDF) for tone analysis, screenwriting takeaways, a Critical Lens module, and a writing exercise. For the complete screenplay download, scroll down until you see the button.
Is This Thing On? (2025) — Classroom Study
"Is This Thing On?" is a study in low-volume storytelling -- proof that a screenplay doesn’t need big plot turns to move forward, only emotional honesty and forward momentum in character. It shows how comedy can emerge from vulnerability, silence, and social discomfort rather than punchlines. This is a script about reinvention after collapse, where the mic isn’t a path to fame -- it’s a place to stand when everything else has fallen away.
- Writing comedy without “joke density”.
- Emotional stakes vs external stakes.
- Vulnerability as narrative engine.
- Realism vs wish fulfillment in creative success stories.
- Dialogue that feels unscripted but precise.
- Why awkwardness can be more revealing than conflict.
- Reinvention stories without redemption arcs.
- How tone signals audience trust.
"Is This Thing On?" One Sheet & Script Intel
As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities. Searchlight
| Type | ... |
FYC
|
| Version | ... | FinalFYC |
| Date | ... | 12.10.2025 |
| Pages | ... | 106 |
| Genres | ... | Comedy Drama Marriage |
| Screenplay | ... | Bradley Cooper Will Arnett Mark Chappell |
| IMDb ID | ... | 28083456 |
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