Directed by: Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz
Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, Thomas Haden Church, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal
Zak (Gottsagen) is a 22 year old man with Down Syndrome and no family placed in a nursing home by the state. He does not wish to stay there. He sees a videotape of a professional wrestling school run by Salt Water Redneck (Church) and decides he will break out of the home and pursue his dream of being a professional wrestler. One night, with help from his resourceful, elderly roommate (Dern), Zak escapes wearing nothing but his underwear and his journey begins.
The similarities between The Peanut Butter Falcon and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huck Finn are purely intentional, right down to the wooden raft which carries Zak and his newfound buddy Tyler (LeBeouf) to their freedom down a peaceful river. For Zak, it's freedom from the home, while for Tyler it's freedom from his haunted past and troublesome present. They meet by accident, and while Tyler wants to play the hardened loner at first, he and Zak form an impenetrable bond. Each sees the good in each other, even if they don't see the good in themselves. Their relationship is touching, and when you throw in Zak's caretaker Eleanor from the home who goes looking for him (Johnson), you have a makeshift family of outsiders who find a way to love one another.
Zak, Tyler, and Eleanor all once had families, or at least close loved ones who are no longer in their lives, Tyler and Eleanor lost theirs to death, while Zak's family simply abandoned him. Tyler undergoes the most changes, transforming from loser and loner to a loving, protective brother to Zak.
There are complications, including a gang of thugs hunting down Tyler for encroaching on their crabbing waters, and the possibility of not being able to locate the Salt Water Redneck.
The Peanut Butter Falcon is an uncomplicated story which tends to sag in the middle, but the sweetness of the central friendships pull it through. This is LeBeouf's best work in years, while Gottsagen is a confident spark plug of a guy who doesn't let tiny things like having no food, clothes, or money get in the way of his dream. For Zak, life isn't bogged down by regrets or negativity. If there is any negativity, he doesn't suffer from its effects. Eleanor acts as a witness to the growth of Tyler and possibly even a romantic interest for him. In the end, the journey doesn't quite end as planned, but then again, which journey ever does?
No comments:
Post a Comment