The Peanut Butter Falcon is the alter ego of Zak, a young man with Down Syndrome who manages to escape the old men's retirement home where life had him imprisoned. Zak is an avid fan of Wrestling and his dream is to follow the footsteps of his hero, Salt Water Redneck, a wrestler he admired on TV.
Shortly after his escape from the retirements home, he meets a fisherman named Tyler and the two team up on an unexpected road trip adventure. 🤭
Well, it's more like a foot trip adventure, really... since they are both running away from other people, have no car... and must avoid the roads to stay low. Later on, they are joined by a young girl - Eleanor - whose job is to take Zak back to the retirement home he doesn't want to live in. 🙄
Zak wishes to see the world instead and, above all, he wants to find and meet Salt Water Redneck, so that he teaches him how to become a wrestler himself. But Eleanor doesn't think he can or should even try to do it.
The movie follows the adventures of Zak and Tyler... and Eleanor joins the adventure later, a bit against her wishes. They travel through the shorelines of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia... in direction to Florida.
Is Zak as incapable as the folks running the retirement home think he is? Or can he stand for himself without being nurtured as a baby?
Will Zak be trapped again in a place for old people? Or will the adventure lead Zak to a better and more independent future? That is answered at the very end... and it wouldn't make any sense for me to spoil it for you. 🤫
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a excellent, sweet and funny Comedy / Drama which is far better than the brief plotline at IMDB makes us believe. I almost skipped it because of that... and that would have been a serious mistake. The film is truly wonderful.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4364194
If you're an English speaker, you're in luck, because this time I bring you the review of a movie for which you won't need any subtitles. It is an American movie, and as usual, it sticks to the usual 1 hour 37 minutes mark. I feel like it could have been longer, though. I wanted more, when it ended. 😁
The cast is superb:
- Zak's role is played by Zack Gottsagen, an actor with Down Syndrome. The directors didn't took any shortcuts there... and I'm glad they didn't. Zack Gottsagen did a wonderful job. No wonder he become the first person with Down's Syndrome to present the Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards, in Hollywood.
- Shia LaBeouf, as Tyler, was outstanding as well. What a great performance!
- The character of Eleanor was played by Dakota Johnson, who was as charming and sweet as she usually is.
Filmed mostly in the shorelines and countryside of Carolina and Georgia, the landscapes are fantastic and makes the viewer feel like on a vacation.
The story is beautiful and very believable, funny with a few sad moments... and will keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to see what comes next. This is a movie you shouldn't miss.
I rate it with a 9 out of 10.
