Movie Review: "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019)
I have this weird personality tic, a complete inability to enjoy “feel-good” movies. I don’t know exactly why this is. Yeah, I had a tough and abnormal upbringing in many respects and went through some shit, but I’m pretty sure it’s more than that. I’m not hard-hearted. It’s as if I simply cannot allow myself to enjoy that happiness. I don’t mind a redemptive arc, but it has to be wrapped up in some serious darkness and strife. If you go for sickeningly sweet in your presentation, you are utterly dead in the water with me. I know many people who feel just like me. You probably do, too.
Still, I’m a fan of Shia LeBeouf. I have been for a very long time. His body of work is shockingly well-rounded, and he’s a criminally underrated actor. More so, he’s involved in all facets of the game from writing to directing to producing. I simply admire the talent. Then there’s that fantastic interpretive dance number from Rob Cantor simply entitled “Shia LeBeouf”. Did you know he’s an actual cannibal? I can still picture him crawling through the woods with a knife in his teeth….
Despite my dislike of the “feel-good” stuff, I’ve heard so much praise for The Peanut Butter Falcon that I simply couldn’t resist. I figured (if nothing else) it’d make my wife happy to watch something besides horror, violence, wrestling, and football. Husband points for me!
My beloved wife is thoroughly enjoying the surprise I got out of this movie.
The Peanut Butter Falcon is, at its core, the story of Zak (Zach Gottsagen), a young man with Down Syndrome. He lives in a retirement home, a ward of the state with no family and no resources. His best friend is the crafty and cantankerous Carl (Bruce Dern; The Burbs, The Hateful Eight). His caretaker is Eleanor (Dakota Johnson; Fifty Shades series), a good-hearted and lovely woman who has a tight bond with him. Zak is a huge wrestling fan; he’s tough, physical, and passionate. His favorite wrestler is the legendary Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church; Tombstone). Zak dreams of attending the Salt Water Redneck’s wrestling school in North Carolina, watching the promotional VHS every day as motivation for his repeated escape attempts. He finally succeeds with the aid of former engineer Carl (by soaping himself up and squeezing through the window bars in nothing but his underwear!), and it’s off to chase his dreams. With no food, water, clothes, or money, Zak finds himself stowed away on the fishing boat of Tyler (Shia LeBeouf; Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). Tyler is on the run after a violent and fiery run-in with a rival crab fisher named Duncan (John Hawkes; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Tyler doesn’t want to be saddled with Zak at first, but he quickly takes to him. The two are a matched pair, free men on the run living the life they want to live. By the time Eleanor catches up with them (and don’t forget about Duncan…), the two are inseparable brothers chasing their dreams and living moment to moment.
It sounds like the classic buddy movie, doesn’t it? It is; it’s also a pretty solid road movie. All the classic story beats are followed…and there’s nothing wrong with that. Film archetypes exist for a reason, and it’s because they work. Film is a language that we’ve all learned to speak, and everyone loves a good buddy movie (even cynical me). That’s not really the story with The Peanut Butter Falcon, though. It’s not unremarkable in the nuts and bolts, but it doesn’t stand out in that regard, either.
Where The Peanut Butter Falcon shines is in the performances, the chemistry, and in its ludicrously big heart. This is the kind of flick where you’d expect Hollywood casting to give you a big name actor to portray a man with Down Syndrome. There are plenty who could do it, but Zack Gottsagen is a legitimate actor AND the real deal. His passion for acting mirrors his character’s passion for wrestling. He’s unbelievably good here. Zak just wants a “Bro Dawg” to party with. He wants to live life the way he wants to- to the fullest and not controlled in a retirement home. He knows what is wrong with him; he also knows there’s not a damn thing wrong with him. He’s no different than any of us: he just wants to pursue his dream and be treated like a normal person. It’s simple, effective, relevant, and honest. No one could have played this part better, and I’m glad no one tried.
And Shia LeBeouf? Goddamn. It’s my favorite performance of his to date. I’m from that part of the country, and he is leagues beyond believable as the hardscrabble fisherman. He’s also conflicted as hell, a decent guy running from a serious fuck-up that cost him his brother and haunts his every waking moment. LeBeouf takes the part very seriously without overdramatizing the role.
In large part, that’s due to the wonderfully sweet chemistry between he, Zack Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson. I’ve honestly never felt so good in a feel-good movie. I felt so good that I just took away the sarcastic quotation marks when referring to this film.
The cinematography is that of a low-key fable. You know exactly what part of the country you’re in, right down to the annoying gnats buzzing around your face in an impenetrable cloud. The soundtrack is all gospel and harmony, giving it that Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? feel and just making you tap your foot. Serious kudos go to Thomas Haden Church for taking the supporting role of The Salt Water Redneck and adding the kind of depth that only a great actor can. It’s very cool to see wrestling legends Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Mick Foley with cool roles. Jake Roberts reminds you why wrestling fans call him the greatest psychologist in the history of the mat game. He’s utterly despicable.
Still, it all comes back to those performances and that powerfully sweet chemistry that never feels hammy or contrived. Zak and Tyler are a pair that you just want to wander the marshes with. “What’s rule number one?”, Tyler asks. “PARTY!”, Zak yells back.
Fuckin’ A right it is, Bro Dawg. I do like this feel good movie, and there is indeed something in my eye. Zero shame.
