The Peanut Butter Falcon

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, Thomas Haden Church, Jon Bernthal, John Hawkes, Mick Foley
Directed by: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A fisherman (Shia LaBeouf) and a runaway with Downs syndrome (Zack Gottsagen) go on a cross-state trip, trying to elude those seeking to find them.

Review:

Tim: Every year, there's typically a movie that comes out of nowhere to surprise me with how wonderful it is. It's one of the reasons I love watching as many movies as possible- you never know when you'll stumble across a great one. The Peanut Butter Falcon fit that slot in 2019. This is such a heartfelt, inspiring, remarkable movie. I absolutely loved watching it. It was so warm and funny. I didn't have the highest expectations going into it, but it's a great film.

The movie's heart is really the pairing of Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen. These two couldn't be more different, but the way they come together tugs at your heartstrings. Both men are running away from something (manifested in people who are pursuing them). Both men have experienced heartbreak and have dealt with the great unfairness of life. How they come together, the relationship that they build-- it's really beautiful. LaBeouf is fantastic in this role. I've always liked him, even when I couldn't explain why. His personal life seemed to be a disaster, he seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. And yet, there's something vulnerable about him- that, combined with his incredible talent, makes him a likeable actor. His performance here is one of the best of 2019. It could have been nominated for an Academy Award. He conveyed so much emotion throughout this film. It's a great performance.

I also have to give Zack Gottsagen a standing ovation. Gottsagen has Downs syndrome. He gave such an authentic, heartfelt performance. His comedic timing was incredible. He made me laugh continuously throughout the film. He connected well with LaBeouf. It was great fun watching these two together. I wish I could bottle up Gottsagen's truly remarkable performance.

The supporting cast was pretty incredible. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Dakota Johnson. I've never actively disliked her, but she's never seemed that great. This might be the best I've ever seen her. I cannot stress how important her role in this film is. The movie was so effective with LaBeouf and Gottsagen, but something amazing happens when Johnson shows up. She rounds them out well and the movie really takes off. The scenes with the three of them together were among my favorites of the movie. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Johnson's performance. The rest of the supporting cast is shockingly good. Bruce Dern shines in his few scenes. It was fun seeing Thomas Haden Church here and he reminded me that he's a talented actor. I absolutely loved seeing Jon Bernthal in only a few flashback scenes. It's amazing how he contributed to the movie with so little screen time. I really liked John Hawkes, too, but it seemed like he wasn't utilized nearly enough. Still, any way you look at it, the cast of this movie was just incredible.

The story was wonderful, too. It's a road trip movie with unlikely partners. It's a film that explores friendship. It looks at the pain of the past and how we need to cope with that so it doesn't detract from our future. It's about guilt and forgiveness, about sacrificing for others. These powerful human themes are helped by some stunning cinematography. The movie is often gorgeous to look it. It's routinely funny.

I will say that the wrestling subplot's conclusion was one of the weaker aspects of the film for me. It eventually all comes together for a powerful conclusion to the film. The wrestling scenes were the few moments that felt illogical and not believable. I loved the movie, but those scenes didn't quite work as planned.

I was a bit disappointed that the film didn't receive any Academy Award nominations. It should have. Outside of some shorts, this was the directorial debut of Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson (they also wrote the movie). It's an auspicious debut and it suggests they have big things in store for them. The Peanut Butter Falcon ended up one of the more heartwarming, inspiring movies of 2019. I really, really loved watching it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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