Movie Review: “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is touching, authentic, and good-hearted

Movie Review: “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (PG-13)

A summer full of sequels, remakes, and comic-book adaptations closes out on a sweet note with the touching, good-hearted, authentic, and inspirational little indie “The Peanut Butter Falcon.” This movie is so well-intended and so kind that you’d have to be the coldest of cynics to not succumb to its many charms. Not that the movie is void of hard truths and a little bit of bite, but for the most part this is a gentle picture filled with wonderful performances.

The title of this picture takes its name from the potential alter ego of its lead character Zac (Zack Gottsagen), a 20-something with Down syndrome who desperately wants to escape the confines of his home-for-the-elderly surroundings so that he might make his way to the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia and train to be a pro wrestler with his idol, a local legend known as The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church.)

After Zac escapes the care home through the aid of a sweet old codger (Bruce Dern), the spirited adventurer heads out on the open road where he bonds with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a loner of sorts looking to better his own life following a tragedy. Together, this unlikely duo look towards a brighter future. Hot on Zac and Tyler’s trail is Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a woman from the care facility who just wants what’s best for Zac. Granted, once Eleanor catches up with this newly formed odd couple, she slowly begins to realize that she’s not the only one with Zac’s best interests at heart.

Again, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is super sweet, but it’s never cloying. There’s a real sincerity at the heart of this picture, and the bond between Zac and Tyler never feels anything short of authentic. What’s more, once Eleanor enters the equation, the movie only builds on that sweetness and authenticity. That said, this film doesn’t fully ignore that there are certainly plenty of jerks out there, but “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is far more interested in the best of us.

As written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, there’s a wonderful tone and an adventurous sense of youth flowing throughout this picture that recalls the likes of “Tom Sawyer,” “Huck Finn,” “Stand By Me,” and, more recently, “Mud.” There’s warmth, there’s bonding, and there are even moments of potential danger, but “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is always firmly grounded in reality save for a sense of crowd-pleasing whimsy in the final act. This particular moment is far from grounded in reality, but it is sure to make you smile. It may even make you stand up and cheer.

As for the cast, LaBeouf is just outstanding. He has an energy and a twinkle in his eye, but beyond that, there’s a sadness and pain bubbling just below the surface. Seeing him rise above that pain through Tyler’s genuine bond with Zac is one of the many joys of this picture. Between “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and the upcoming “Honey Boy,” it’s clear that LaBeouf is having a banner year. His work in movies like this should go a very long way to remind viewers that he’s the real deal. Likewise, Gottsagen is positively wonderful here, and his casting is a perfect representation of everything that this movie stands for. Nilson and Schwartz reportedly wrote the movie specifically for him, and they were steadfast in holding out until they found a studio that would back up his casting. Good on them and all involved, because Gottsagen was certainly the right man of the job. He’s funny,  he’s charming, and he’s inspirational. Casting an A-lister in the role would have been insulting. It also would have drained “The Peanut Butter Falcon” of its realism.

Rounding out the trio of leads is Dakota Johnson in what is easily her strongest work to date. There’s a simplicity and naturalistic way about her in this picture, and she’s positively endearing. Elsewhere, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is populated by a roster of colorful supporting players including an amusing Dern, a warm and likable Thomas Haden Church, a solid but all too brief Jon Bernthal as Tyler’s brother, and a scary but sympathetic John Hawkes as a man out to kill Tyler for destroying his livelihood. Further props to the uncredited scene-stealer who plays a gun-toting blind preacher who willingly aids Zac and Tyler on their journey of self discovery.

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is all about empathy. Further still, the idea of sharing positive messages and encouraging those around us has not been lost in a cynical world, and like last year’s stunning documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” this movie is a perfect representation of that. And perhaps most of all, Gottsagen is further proof that there is no such thing as disability. Only ability.

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