| Director(s) | Tyler Nilson Michael Schwartz |
| Principal Cast | Shia LaBeouf as Tyler Zack Gottsagen as Zak Dakota Johnson as Eleanor |
| Release Date | 2019 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Running Time | 98 minutes |
The Peanut Butter Falcon, is wonderfully crafted feel good movie that helped restore my faith in humanity by the end of the film. It follows Tyler, a man reeling from tragedy struggling to find his way as he runs into and travels along with Duncan (John Hawkes) , a young man with Down syndrome and big dreams of being a wrestler. As the two make their way down to the wrestling school of Duncan’s dreams ,they’re pursued his caretaker Eleanor and have to deal with a horde of obstacles. This is a movie with a lot of heart and demonstrates the power of courage and confidence in the face of adversity.
The characters in this movie are phenomenal. Zack Gottsagen is the lifeblood of the movie and his infectious personality, sense of innocence, and intellectual maturity keep him endearing but also nuanced. He gives off a real sense of agency which is made all the better because the film is literally about how we actively strip agency away from those who are differently-abled even if we don’t realize it. In contrast to the more transparent performance of Gottsagen, LaBeouf’s performance is layered. His character is multifaceted and complex, so watching him slowly open up and embrace Duncan, is rewarding and heartwarming. Their relationship is the crux of the movie and works as a good point of investment. Dakota Johnson is terrific as a caretaker and watching her interact with both Tyler and Zac in their different scenarios is fun. She can go from worried to confident and back without it ever feeling weird.
The movie is also beautifully shot. There are wide spanning aerial shots demonstrating the majesty of the scenery which helps sell the Mark Twain vibe. The shots of the raft as it floated down the river reminded me back of the images I had in my head while reading Huckleberry Finn back in middle school. You can really feel the distance the characters end up travelling which gives weight to what they’re actually attempting .
For the majority of the story, character interactions are pleasant and seek to remind us of the better aspects of people and ourselves. There’s a large emphasis placed on redemption and learning to believe in oneself. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the darker more nihilistic stuff I’m used to watching and frequenting. Unfortunately, this is also the issue with the movie. It’s too nice. At some point, character interactions, despite being cute and happy, feel unbelievable. I would have liked to see some more rugged interactions, just so the kindness felt more realistic. Yes, there are some more serious moments, but they never feel as well integrated or realized within the structure of the story. In fact, the way that some of this tension gets resolved actively confuse the themes, because it doesn’t sync with properly with what the story had been leading up to. Thankfully, this problem only stays relevant for a few minutes and doesn’t change the overall narrative.I wish the movie had managed to balance more of its serious elements with the lighter moments.
REPORT CARD
| TLDR | The Peanut Butter Falcon restored my faith in humanity and forced to inspect my assumptions about people with disabilities. The story might feel too sweet at times, but that may be a plus if you want a movie that keeps you grinning ear to ear.It’s the most touching “feel good” movie I’ve seen in a long time. |
| Rating | 8.9/10 |
| Grade | B+ |
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