Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Starring: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal, Matt Bennett, Katherine Hughes, Bobb'e J. Thompson
Directed by: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A high school student (Thomas Mann) reluctantly makes friends with a girl (Olivia Cooke) diagnosed with leukemia. What starts out as a chore soon transforms into an unexpected friendship.

Review:

Tim: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is one of those movies that comes out of nowhere (who heard about this movie as 2015 began?) and leaves a big impression on the audience. It's a film that might not quite be great, but gets awfully close. This is an odd, original, hard-to-classify film that is both funny and emotional. It might not quite make my top 10 of 2015 list, but it's a film I thoroughly enjoyed watching and one I'd highly recommend to anyone.

The film is similar to other coming-of-age stories in some ways. It's set during high school, involves unlikely friendships forming, and explores how those surprisingly connections can completely alter our lives. Many movies have tackled these things before. However, this film gives that story a new packaging, a weird, odd, beautiful little package that makes the whole film feel fresh and unique. That's very hard to do and this film deserves great credit for achieving that.

The cast doesn't have a ton of big names, but it is talented. Thomas Mann was strong in the lead role. I can't see him getting a ton of coveted roles in Hollywood, but he was perfect for our protagonist here- he's awkward, goofy, and yet identifiable enough that we can root for him. RJ Cyler was a strong addition as the scene-stealing Earl. Olivia Cooke gave a surprisingly powerful performance as the titular "Dying Girl." I feel like so often, young actors and actresses are cast for their looks and talent is a distant second. I don't know much about Cooke, but this wasn't the easiest role to pull off. She's not perfect and her performance was still a bit raw (due to her relative inexperience), but overall, she is very memorable. I saw her in Ouija and couldn't tell you much about her performance (it's forgettable). However, she was strong here and quite memorable. I'm interested to see if she can continue to build on this.

The supporting cast was great. Nick Offerman was funny in a small role that he was able to embrace and make his own. I'm not typically a huge Offerman fan- I think he's fine, but I don't love him. However, I was very impressed at the level of impact he was able to make with a small role. I loved seeing Jon Bernthal here- I've been a fan of his since "The Walking Dead" and love to see him continue to hone his craft in roles like this. Molly Shannon was only marginally annoying, which is a major win for her. As I said, the cast doesn't have any A-listers, but they all work very well together and help elevate the film.

While this film is very good, it does feel like an early career effort. It wasn't surprising to see that it was only director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's second film. He showed enough talent and promise here that I'm very interested in seeing what he does next. This is the kind of small film that exceeds expectations and can launch a career. He'll be one to watch in the coming years.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is certainly worth seeing. It's funny, odd, different, and not afraid to tackle an emotional, difficult subject matter. It does so with humor and dignity. This is a gem of a film that many viewers likely missed. I'm really glad I caught it, because it's a thoroughly entertaining film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Easy A, Ouija