When Being Gifted Isn’t Enough: Isabel Hagen's "On a String" Hits a Nerve

Sometimes you can go from the top of your game to the plateau of mediocrity. For those who grew up "gifted kids," navigating success as an adult can be a challenge when you go from "good for your age" to just "average." Few films understand this better than Isabel Hagen's On A String, which won Best Screenplay at last year's Tribeca Film Festival. Over the course of 80 minutes, it presents a raw look at modern womanhood as well as the frustration of being undervalued and overqualified.

On a String is a heavily autobiographical film by violist and comedian, Isabel Hagen, who served as the project's writer, director, and lead actor. It follows a Julliard trained violist trying to make a living through measly paying gigs while still living with her parents. While preparing to auditon for the New York Philharmonic, Isabel also has to deal with an infuriating situationship, condescension from her family, and her tendency to get way too involved in the personal lives of strangers. The film also stars Dylan Baker, Jaime Lee, and Frederick Weller. It will be having a limited theatrical run in the United States starting next month after screening at Tribeca, Calgary International, and Tallinn Black Nights.

On a String can best be described as a mix between Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha and Gillian Robespierre's Obvious Child with just a touch of Juno. For so many "gifted kids" whether that be in arts or STEM, their first great ambition is to attend the top universities for their craft. But children have a very limited view of the world and rarely l0ok beyond this goal because they think if they can just go to a top school, they will be set for life. It is a rude awakening when they inevitably find out there is way more luck involved than they thought. Not everyone who goes to Harvard Med ends up being a successful doctor and not everyone who goes to Julliard ends up playing in a top orchestra.

There is nobody who understands this plight better than Isabel Hagen who is quite literally playing herself. Her real-life experience brings an authenticity to On a String that never could've been achieved otherwise. Not to mention a surprising amount of great, deadpan comedy. The script has the tendency to drag more than I would've liked, but the blissfully short 80 minute runtime keeps any dead air from lingering too long. The film has a very similar film to Iliza Shlesinger's Chasing Summer that premiered at Sundance this year not only in terms of comedy but how their very similar characters maneuver their way through life at a pivotal time.

On a String sheds light on the bleak reality of being an artist in the 21st century. No matter how talented you are, the harsh truth is that for the vast majority, "you aren't that special." Life is a complicated thing to navigate, even when you're considered at the top of your game. As someone who just entered a competitive grad program, On a String spoke to me in way that was not always comfortable but necessary. There are a decent amount of laughs to balance out the misery, but beyond genre, this film's greatest strength is in how human it feels. Isabel Hagen is playing a character very similar to her real self and that level of vulnerability is never easy to do, especially in one's first feature film. I can't help but respect the hell out of Hagen for having the courage to appear as a mess for the world to see, because at the end of the day it is something we can all relate to.

On a String begins its limited theatrical run in the United States on September 11th and is a great choice for any former gifted kid who wants a good laugh, a cry, and an existential crisis upon leaving the theater.