Summary
Two very different people form a bond on an unlikely journey….
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a classic Mark Twain style adventure set in modern time, taking place in southern North Carolina we follow mentally challenged Zak (Zack Gottsagen) who has reluctantly been living in a senior living center for two and a half years due to lack of a competent family guardian. There he spends his days watching his favorite wrestler The Saltwater Redneck (Thomas Hayden Church, “John Carter”) on old VHS tapes, his dream is to one day meet his hero and learn his moves. Unfortunately though his environment isn't the likely place to chase that dream, and despite his social worker Elenor (Dakota Johnson, “Suspiria”) trying her best to make him comfortable, he still wants nothing more than to leave, and with the help of his senior roommate Carl (Bruce Dern, “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood”) he does just that and our absolutely delightful journey begins. This film is the feel good movie of the year and only a monster could give this charming gem a negative review, it has plenty of heart and humor to win over even the grumpiest of viewers.
Our story also focuses on Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a down on his luck ex convict who is hard up for money and takes small fishing jobs here and there until he's caught stealing from another operation, to which the men of that operation begin to chase Tyler out of town. Through his fleeing he forcefully meets up with the runaway Zak and the two begin to form an unbreakable bond. The adventure takes them through the backwoods, on a path to Florida where Tyler is headed, and he promises to take Zack to The Saltwater Redneck's wrestling school which is near the border.
This journey is filled with fantastic morals about the human spirit, showing the goodness of people even when nothing good is happening around these people, Tyler tells Zack that not everyone is cut out for everything but everyone is cut out for something, it's filled with optimism and hope but also it hits home that not everything goes the way we want it and sometimes life isn't fair, such as when they find out the wrestling school has been closed for ten years, and how Tyler has to break Zack's heart if he tells him. The movie is filled with a unique tenderness that will resonate with most if not all watchers. When Elenor finally finds Zak, with the help of Tyler she decides to give up bringing Zak back to the retirement home and join them on their adventure, and while this probably the biggest plothole in the film, it's done in such a loving way that it's hard to fight her decision of giving up her career in pursuit of others happiness, and thankfully there isn't a glaring slapped together love story in the mix.
This whole film is a love story of one another, loving your fellow man no matter the differences, we all have something to offer to the world. The drama blends together with the comedy beautifully, there's always a sense of urgency on screen, the ticking clock counts down as Tyler's enemies draw nearer and nearer and we as the audience are always aware due to the steady hands of the director's who always cut back to the antagonist (John Hawkes) hell bent on getting his revenge. The pacing is on point, it's a short runtime but filled with big issues and an even bigger heart, not one second is spent on filler or distractions, this is an adventure story to its core and it tells the story in an effective and heartfelt way, never asking too much of the audience, but constantly keeping us entertained.
Overall The Peanut Butter Falcon is this year's feel good movie, and it might as well be this decades for all that matters. It's a perfect look at how we as a society treat people with mental disabilities, and how that needs to change, how even the most rugged battle hardened people like Tyler have the most common sense of the situation in front of him, he shows us that compassion can go a long way. And while he still has to pay for his sins, he's fully aware and ready for the confrontation. The talent here are all at the top of their games, especially newcomer Zack who is an absolute delight to watch, full of humor and emotion of which LaBeouf and Johnson meet on equal caliber. This film is perfect for family viewing at anytime, for anyone anywhere, don't miss this one.
I give The Peanut Butter Falcon 5 stars out of 5.
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