The Peanut Butter Falcon Review
Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a twenty-two year old man with Down Syndrome has a dream: To become a professional wrestler like his hero, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Hayden Church). In order to make this a reality, the young man must escape the retirement home he's been placed in by the state of North Carolina. His caretaker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) searches for Zak while he meets up with Tyler, a down-on-his luck fisherman (Shia Lebouf). Little do they all know that their adventures will teach them the true meaning of family.
There's an authenticity and earnestness to The Peanut Butter Falcon that gives a bit of an edge to what could've been just an overly saccharine theatrically released Hallmark movie. The premise certainly sounds like it could've been just another uplifting feel-good movie with a likable, charming lead who happens to have the same developmental handicap as the character he plays. That being said, we could all use more feel-good movies if they're executed as well as this film was.
Zack Gottsagen gives a great performance as Zak, drawing from his own personality as well as his real-life love of professional wrestling. He's charming, friendly, and determined to be treated like any other person. The film doesn't shy away from the prejudices of those who don't understand him, such as when a kid yells at him to jump off a dock into a lake, despite being told Zak can't swim and constantly being called "retard" by bigoted jerks. However, the film displays the sometimes patronizing protectiveness of his caregivers, like Eleanor, who sometimes treat Zak like a Faberge egg due to him having Down Syndrome.
Shia Lebouf turns in a solid, heartwarming portrayal of Tyler, a young man who's had life kick him repeatedly in the groin. We learn through flashbacks about his older brother Mark, played by Jon Berenthal, and how much he meant to him, even when no dialogue is audible. We're showing them out at the bar, fishing, and tragically, in a car that presumably ended up killing Mark and leaving Tyler with a mountain's worth of guilt. His initial abrasiveness towards Zak could've very easily lent itself to a problematic turn in the hands of lesser filmmakers and actors. But showing that Tyler treating Zak as a regular person despite his disability teaches not just the character, but the audience that patience is, indeed a virtue.
"Friends are the family you choose" Bruce Dern sagely imparts to Zak before the young man's escape from the nursing home. Zak and Tyler's paths intertwine due to complicated circumstances involving two rough-looking fishermen named Duncan and Ratboy. But as they evade both them and the concerned Eleanor, the two men's relationship forms through mutual understanding and respect. They both know what it's like to have no family or anyone who sees you as a person.
I've been a lifelong wrestling fan ever since I could remember. From Hulkamania's heyday to The Monday Night Wars to today with wrestling perhaps being as good as it's ever been, it's a great time to be a wrestling fan. As a fan, I can appreciate them bringing in Mick Foley and Jake "The Snake" Roberts as a referee for a low-budget wrestling federation and Zak's first in-ring opponent respectively. They both get very brief appearances but make the most of their time.
Thomas Hayden Church has an underrated performance as Clint, The Salt Water Redneck, Zak's hero and the one under whose tutelage the young man wants to learn wrestling. His character, though he gets about fifteen minutes of screentime, goes through something of a character arc as well, being moved by the courage and tenacity of this young man who had come all this way to be taught pro wrestling.
Dakota Johnson's Eleanor is a very sweet person who seems to genuinely care about Zak. She wasn't a villain trying to lock up Zak, though her character does sometimes come off as she doesn't give Zak enough credit to be able to grow and develop in his own way. Her chemistry with both Gottsagen and Lebouf is heartwarming in that she finds two kindred souls who have grown to be very close in such a short time. I also appreciate that they didn't go through with the typical second act breakup that usually accompanies stories like this.
The music and setting of the outer bands of North Carolina give a gritty down-home atmosphere and are almost a character in themselves. Even when Tyler and Zak run into a blind preacher who baptizes Zak and lends them the tools to make a raft to sail across the bands. The compositions are well placed, giving the traveling montages a jubilant southern feel to them.
Overall, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming, sweet almost to the point of saccharine, well acted feel-good film that everyone should watch at least once. It shows that friends truly are the family you make along the way and that even if dreams don't always pan out the way you think they ought to, the adventure is worth the risk and it's better than staying in one place and wondering what else you could be doing with your life.
Zack Gottsagen gives a great performance as Zak, drawing from his own personality as well as his real-life love of professional wrestling. He's charming, friendly, and determined to be treated like any other person. The film doesn't shy away from the prejudices of those who don't understand him, such as when a kid yells at him to jump off a dock into a lake, despite being told Zak can't swim and constantly being called "retard" by bigoted jerks. However, the film displays the sometimes patronizing protectiveness of his caregivers, like Eleanor, who sometimes treat Zak like a Faberge egg due to him having Down Syndrome.
Shia Lebouf turns in a solid, heartwarming portrayal of Tyler, a young man who's had life kick him repeatedly in the groin. We learn through flashbacks about his older brother Mark, played by Jon Berenthal, and how much he meant to him, even when no dialogue is audible. We're showing them out at the bar, fishing, and tragically, in a car that presumably ended up killing Mark and leaving Tyler with a mountain's worth of guilt. His initial abrasiveness towards Zak could've very easily lent itself to a problematic turn in the hands of lesser filmmakers and actors. But showing that Tyler treating Zak as a regular person despite his disability teaches not just the character, but the audience that patience is, indeed a virtue.
"Friends are the family you choose" Bruce Dern sagely imparts to Zak before the young man's escape from the nursing home. Zak and Tyler's paths intertwine due to complicated circumstances involving two rough-looking fishermen named Duncan and Ratboy. But as they evade both them and the concerned Eleanor, the two men's relationship forms through mutual understanding and respect. They both know what it's like to have no family or anyone who sees you as a person.
I've been a lifelong wrestling fan ever since I could remember. From Hulkamania's heyday to The Monday Night Wars to today with wrestling perhaps being as good as it's ever been, it's a great time to be a wrestling fan. As a fan, I can appreciate them bringing in Mick Foley and Jake "The Snake" Roberts as a referee for a low-budget wrestling federation and Zak's first in-ring opponent respectively. They both get very brief appearances but make the most of their time.
Thomas Hayden Church has an underrated performance as Clint, The Salt Water Redneck, Zak's hero and the one under whose tutelage the young man wants to learn wrestling. His character, though he gets about fifteen minutes of screentime, goes through something of a character arc as well, being moved by the courage and tenacity of this young man who had come all this way to be taught pro wrestling.
Dakota Johnson's Eleanor is a very sweet person who seems to genuinely care about Zak. She wasn't a villain trying to lock up Zak, though her character does sometimes come off as she doesn't give Zak enough credit to be able to grow and develop in his own way. Her chemistry with both Gottsagen and Lebouf is heartwarming in that she finds two kindred souls who have grown to be very close in such a short time. I also appreciate that they didn't go through with the typical second act breakup that usually accompanies stories like this.
The music and setting of the outer bands of North Carolina give a gritty down-home atmosphere and are almost a character in themselves. Even when Tyler and Zak run into a blind preacher who baptizes Zak and lends them the tools to make a raft to sail across the bands. The compositions are well placed, giving the traveling montages a jubilant southern feel to them.
Overall, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a heartwarming, sweet almost to the point of saccharine, well acted feel-good film that everyone should watch at least once. It shows that friends truly are the family you make along the way and that even if dreams don't always pan out the way you think they ought to, the adventure is worth the risk and it's better than staying in one place and wondering what else you could be doing with your life.
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