I'm kind of enjoying the way in which Paul Rudd is kind of stepping outside of comedy to move towards more serious roles. He is yet to do something (that I am aware of) that is devoid of comedy aspects, but this is about as far as I would like to see him go because although there are some comedy moments this is more of a drama film than anything else.
I have tried to avoid spoilers but there could be a few so just know that I recommend this film for its subtle humor, touching storyline, and overall pace
[src](https://nickelfilm.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/f2033dc100895a1e5cc71990e0d12bc027fd2294.jpg)While this film has been on Netflix since 2016 after appearing at a film festival or two, I never knew it was there until it was featured on my home screen about a week ago. Therefore, this might not be a new film to you, but it is to me since a lot of my choices on what to watch are made by the team over at Netflix.
Basically, this story is about a guy named Ben who we can see is depressed himself as he is attending a caregiving course that qualifies him to be a caregiver for people in need. After graduating he goes on his first interview and meets Trevor, a teenager with Muscular Dystrophy. Although it appears as though Ben is not going to get the job because of his lack of experience, Trevor chooses Ben as his caregiver based on the answers he has to his questions, rather than his mother's. Trever simply says "he is the one" and that was that. Of course we already knew that Ben was going to get the job because he is one of the stars of the movie so this isn't exactly a cliffhanger.
[src](https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/the-fundamentals-of-caring-2016/Fundamentals-of-Caring-2016.jpg)At first they don't really get along because Trevor is a bit of an antagonizing jerk and continually berates Ben but for some reason this leads to them having a bond with one another. Ben learns more about Trevor than he knows about most of his adult friends and convinces the boy to abandon his home life, just a for a bit in order to go on a road-trip to see some of the things that the boy is fascinated with but never pursues because of his affliction.
[src](https://i1.wp.com/scenome.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/The-Fundamentals-of-Caring-image.jpg?fit=928%2C523)They have some adventures together, they argue, and Ben introduces Trevor, who has a very particular diet, to the joys of Slim Jims and helps the boy to enjoy life outside and to not let his life be entirely about his affliction.
I'm not going to get into specifics for the sake of not ruining the story but let's just say that if you are the type of person that like a touching story with a bit of humor mixed in then there is a very good chance that this movie is going to appeal to you.
Most compassion stories out there are about some sort of romantic love and those are fine and all, but I do enjoy having a bit of diversity and have a film focus on simple kindness and how important that really should be to all of us. This isn't exactly a tear-jerker or anything, but it is a feel good film eventually.
Should I watch it?
For some this may be a bit slow-moving and while that wasn't the feeling I got I can see it being a bit too slow for some. I really enjoy movies that are about the need for more compassion in the world and even though it isn't explicitly about that it is the message in the end. Also, the "side quests" aren't really evident until later in the film. They are just as compelling as the main storyline and I can all but guarantee that they will surprise you.
