Facebook. Thick with humidity, sweat, and some other bodily function, this is a coming-of-age story that foregrounds its main character’s genetic disorder without feeling like a vanity project or inspirational hokum in the way that so many films about characters with Down Syndrome often do. View all song names, who sings them, stream 8 additional tunes playlist, and credits used in the movie. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. If you're ready for a movie that's a bit different then the norm, go see it. The Peanut Butter Falcon is the story about Zak, a guy with down syndrome that escapes his nursing home in an attempt to make his dreams of becoming a wrestler come true. So here’s the big however. Along the way, the sense of location – marshlands, sticky thoroughfares – is filled with grit even as the constant soundtrack of bayou struts, Alan Lomax-esque folk, and ebullient gospel numbers threaten to undo the natural sense of atmosphere. Tired of the doldrums of living in a retirement home, he … How 'Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Helped Changed Shia LaBeouf's Life . However, he doesn’t have any other family to take care of him. Scarred me for life." There are some nice cameos towards the end of the film too. A small film with the weird name The Peanut Butter Falcon has meandered into theaters this week. If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here. Zak, a ward of the state who has Down syndrome, has been put in a nursing facility at a young age because he doesn’t have a family and the state doesn’t have anywhere else for him to go, thinking he needed more care than he actually did. Caught up in a dead end life, his Tyler needs a key to his release from the nightmares. Nilson explains the issues ran towards marketing. Zajaros and Lemole two, who sought to bring more discussion towards race when they produced Mudbound, hope the movie will spark more desire for extended discussions about where disability factors into these new representation talks. Email . ‘I’ ON CULTURE. Click here to see rankings for 2019 films. Tyler, sporting some familiar dirtbag chic that proudly reflects the blood, sweat, and tears of his past is initially familiar – a man with potential derailed by personal trauma – but as played by LaBeouf, his arc is a pleasant scribble rather than a slope and he diverts the film whenever the script starts to feel too emphatic with its themes. That’s ingrained right into every aspect of the film and even as it can lead to some unfortunately simplified dichotomies – sheep/wolves; good guys/bad guys – it feels so much more real for that reason. Click here to see rankings for every poll done. The duo eventually met up with Chris Lemole and Tim Zajaros, founders of Armory Films who saw something "magical" within the script. Inevitably, The Peanut Butter Falcon will be one of the centerpieces of any tribute to the actor. I am so grateful that you were able to figure out how to stream the films. The Peanut Butter Falcon follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young adult living with Down Syndrome. The Peanut Butter Falcon is the absolute definition of a feel-good movie. How 'Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Helped Changed Shia LaBeouf's Life . The bonding happened remarkably fast. "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019 release; 98 min.) The bonding happened remarkably fast. Click here to see rankings for 2019 films. The story of Zak (Zack Gottsagen) and Tyler (Shia Labouf) is comical and fun while tackling stereotypes and debunking expectations. "Peanut Butter Falcon" is a buddy movie, but it has the quality of a fable, even down to how it's shot by cinematographer Nigel Bluck. Podcast logo by Josh Hollis. Take a second to support The Spool on Patreon! The Peanut Butter Falcon is currently available in limited release. She cares deeply about him, but won’t let him live his life lest he have a difficult time or end up in Cherry Hill – the dreaded place where they send drug addicts and prostitutes (a line that’s fascinating in the context of showing the limits of Eleanor’s empathy). If all of this sounds too sentimental to be believed, it isn't. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Co-written and co-directed by first-timers Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, The Peanut Butter Falcon does follow a well-worn story arc, but the presence of Gottsagen -- who has Down syndrome in real life -- quickly ups the ante. Directed by Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz. Despite a huge response at this year's SXSW Film Festival, wherein the feature won the Audience Award, none of the major studios volunteered to purchase it. Even with context – and there is plenty – The Peanut Butter Falcon is a hurdle of a name. Co-director Michael Schwartz wants The Peanut Butter Falcon to show disabled narratives that aren't sad or tragic, but allow everyone to have an adventure and, ultimately tell their story. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” Brings Joy and is a Must-See. The Peanut Butter Falcon hits theaters this Friday. If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll. I have no clue what it means, but I think about it every day. Watching the finished product is a lesson in how Hollywood can better serve people with disabilities, both from a narrative and inclusion standpoint. The heart of The Peanut Butter Falcon beats to a rhythm that harks back to the ragged romanticism of a Huck Finn adventure, a time when outlaws were armed with … And yet what makes “The Peanut Butter Falcon” such an enjoyable movie are the two lead performances, one by an actor I had never seen in a movie before — Zack Gottsagen — and one by an actor I never thought I’d want to see in a movie again — Shia LaBeouf. Crosscutting between Zak and Tyler, Eleanor, and Duncan, there’s a distinct feel to each of these characters and how they interact with others. Everyone immediately vetoed the idea until they realized to say no was coddling their disabled performer in a way anathema to the movie's message. He runs into Tyler and the two set off on this Huckleberry Finn-type journey that tests their spirits, thaws their life sores, and brings them closer together as one cohesive desire to live free. Worth a rent. As the film begins, Tyler’s in hot water for snatching up Duncan’s (John Hawkes) crab traps along the swamp, and in a fit of rage, lights all Duncan’s remaining empty traps at the docks on fire. If you like happy endings, go see it. Inclusion is a big field to us." Even with context – and there is plenty – The Peanut Butter Falcon is a hurdle of a name. He is someone who had a dream his whole life and managed to realize it despite the odds, thanks to his own talent and help from friends made along the way. Even being a veteran to the south, Eleanor is hopelessly cosmopolitan compared to Zak and Tyler whose friendship and mutual loneliness breeds a more off-the-map approach to life. Listen to trailer music, OST, original score, and the full list of popular songs in the film. Shia does an outstanding performance that really ties everything together. Meander is the proper word. I regularly attend the AFI Film Festival and in my free-time I run the women-run entertainment podcast, Citizen Dame. "It was a pretty boring movie at first, but damn, it gets real fucked up at the end. I t could have been so corny. Borrowing heavily from Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, it is a charming tale of a trip made by three rather strange, although charming characters.And it is the trip that is important, not the clearly hopped up “feel good” ending. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. If anything, Eleanor’s character is a model of this kind of academic empathy. A man who has Down syndrome runs away from his residential home to become a pro wrestler. Scarred me for life." Even with context – and there is plenty – The Peanut Butter Falcon is a hurdle of a name. brings the story of Zak and Tyler. I have no clue what it means, but I think about it every day. Unraveling Pop Culture One Thread at a Time, Zak Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf in "The Peanut Butter Falcon." All four men admit fear when Gottsagen asked to take a jump off a 45-foot dock into a lake below. There’s no shying away from conversations about how Zak has been called “retarded” and bullied by others who are unwilling to have patience with him when he doesn’t understand something. "Deep in my heart I knew...somehow, somebody would step up and say we're going to fully support this thing," says Nilson. In the end, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a film that I have been looking forward to for a while and I'm very happy with the experience I had when watching it. Meander is the proper word. —gabbyb4173c346b. "We were like the whole purpose of this movie is not to limit people with disabilities because we think that they should be. Host of Intermission, chair of The Film Stage Show, and previous bylines at various places that would have me but I mostly lurk here and The Film Stage these days. He doesn’t like it there since he can’t relate to people who are generations older than him. SPOILERS BELOW FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON —— If I missed the official discussion for this please let me know. If The Peanut Butter Falcon has a clear selling point, it's the chance to see Gottsagen firing on all cylinders; he's charismatic and genuinely funny, and one presumes that the film industry won't have much of an idea what to do with him, now that this film has put him on the map. Meanwhile Tyler, caught stealing crab traps, is fired from his job and on the run. Zak’s journey soon intersects with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) as they become bush-league outlaws. I'm a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic whose work has appeared on Roger Ebert, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Daily Beast. But Gottsagen refused to be discouraged, asking the directors to work on the project with him, and with that the trio decided to press forward. Is the film’s title a reference to the wrestling name Zak chooses to use, or is it something more? Bruce Dern in THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON Photo Credit Nigel Bluck Courtesy of Roadside Attractions and Armory-Films. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 01: Lije Sarki , Albert Berger, Aaron Scotti, Shia LaBeouf, Zack ... [+] Gottsagen, Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz and Tim Zajaros attend the LA Special Screening of Roadside Attractions' 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' at ArcLight Hollywood on AugustWIREIMAGE. "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019 release; 98 min.) And though the two were living on the edge of poverty - "I was eating just enough food, calorically, to get by; one piece of chicken, one half of sweet potato, and one spoonful of butter daily, very skinny," according to Nilson - they refused to budge on having any else but Gottsagen in the role. Critic in a past life, now I just write and podcast. He doesn’t like it there since he can’t relate to people who are generations older than him. This, understandably, isn’t a wildly unpredictable film, but it’s fair to say that the film thankfully doesn’t pull its emotional punches with one flagrant exception. The chemistry that builds between Zack and Shia feels real and genuine and for that it should be recognized when the Oscar nominations come around. "It was a pretty boring movie at first, but damn, it gets real fucked up at the end. Having seen the litany of films about disability, nearly all played with an able-bodied actor, the two thought they could finally put something out that would tip the scales towards letting disabled actors play disabled characters. Twitter. The Peanut Butter Falcon: Movie Clip - Kidnapping The Peanut Butter Falcon: Movie Clip - It's Not a Party The Peanut Butter Falcon: Movie Clip - Buckshot The Peanut Butter Falcon Synopsis. It's a movie that when you're done watching it I felt like there is hope out there. Will miss you all. The Peanut Butter Falcon is a rarity in cinema: a story starring not just a person with a disability, but one that is prominent and not hidden (like deafness or blindness). Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen are interviewed for their movie The Peanut Butter Falcon which also stars Dakota Johnson. Let’s get this out of the way. 08/25/2019. Excellent end to the season, although I'm very sad the season is now over. ‘I’ ON CULTURE. brings the story of Zak and Tyler. If all of this sounds too sentimental to be believed, it isn't. Find out if someone vomits in The Peanut Butter Falcon from over 10 other people who have already watched it. (2019) Dramedy (Roadside Attractions) Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zach Gottsagen, Bruce Dern, Thomas Haden Church, John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal, Yelawolf, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley, Raquel Aurora, Michael Berthold, Deja Dee, Lee Spencer, Rob Thomas, Mark Helms, Dylan Odom, Nick Morbitt, Noah … The Peanut Butter Falcon feels like it should be a turning point for western cinema’s relationship with disability; Zak is a charming, complex protagonist portrayed incredibly by a person with the same condition as the character. From a marketing standpoint, seeing a commercial for the movie with Gottsagen's face already transforming the narrative. As Nilson explains, several studios offered the pair an increase in budget if they were willing to cast an A-list (and, by extension of that, able-bodied) person in the lead role. —gabbyb4173c346b. Official Discussion - Peanut Butter Falcon [SPOILERS] Discussion. During production of The Peanut Butter Falcon, Shia LaBeouf was very publicly arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior, a scandal that has loomed over the film ever since. These films have kept me going - something to look forward to in this Lockdown Life. The Peanut Butter Falcon tells the story of Zak, a twenty-two year old young man with down syndrome who lives in a nursing home. Official Discussion - Peanut Butter Falcon [SPOILERS] Discussion. The Peanut Butter Falcon has this in spades because the actors became very close while filming. We didn't see it.". Liked it? Linkedin. This makes The Peanut Butter Falcon the rare film with a happy ending both on and offscreen. If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here. I’m not sure when the movie released nationwide but I just saw it today in my mid-sized city in southern Indiana. 7. In the end, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a film that I have been looking forward to for a while and I'm very happy with the experience I had when watching it. A small film with the weird name The Peanut Butter Falcon has meandered into theaters this week. And in spite of the struggles to release it, it's already changing things. ... She cares deeply about him, but won’t let him live his life lest he have a difficult time or end up in Cherry Hill – the dreaded place where they send drug addicts and prostitutes (a line that’s fascinating in the context of showing the limits of Eleanor’s empathy). So when you meet filmmakers and screenwriters who understand the issues inherent in the narrative it provides hope for greater understanding. Zak has his own weaknesses he needs to contend with – an inability to swim, people underestimating him – and those difficulties are baked into the film without eliminating his being in the process. '", Zajaros and Lemole, who raised the financing to release the film and partnered with Roadside in order for the film to get a theatrical release, are reluctantly blunter: it was because the movie was about a person with disabilities. It is the proof of the pudding as Zack exacts Zak, proving he can act. The Peanut Butter Falcon does more then that. With Zack Gottsagen, Ann Owens, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern. The soundtrack from The Peanut Butter Falcon, a 2019 movie, tracklist, listen to all the 33 full soundtrack songs, play 25 full OST music & 2 trailer tracks. The Peanut Butter Falcon is the story about Zak, a guy with down syndrome that escapes his nursing home in an attempt to make his dreams of becoming a wrestler come true. The Peanut Butter Falcon is an adventure story set in the world of a modern Mark Twain that begins when Zak (22), a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from the nursing home where he lives to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler by attending the wrestling school The Salt Water Redneck. If Zak had his way, he’d be training with his idol, Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), a washed-up wrestler who possibly runs a wrestling school in Aiden, NC, and who Zak watches on a loop on an old videotape. The Peanut Butter Falcon has this in spades because the actors became very close while filming. However, he doesn’t have any other family to take care of him. Rarely do you leave a movie without any criticism, but The Peanut Butter Falcon accomplished that feat for me. Film Review: ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ Shia LaBeouf plays an outlaw fisherman who takes a wrestling-obsessed young man with Down syndrome under his wing in this good-natured road/raft-trip movie. Marakai Aug 23, 2020. Shia does an outstanding performance that Peanut Butter Falcon is a film with a lovely spirit that pulls you in and takes you along for the ride. You can smell the salt and pollen and mold in the air. Photo Credit: Seth Johnson (Roadside Attractions, Armory Films), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Blinded by the Light Review: Moved by Mighty, Mighty Boss Tones, Good Boys Review: Kids Say the Raunchiest Things, so many films about characters with Down Syndrome often do, Costumes maketh the monster: Inside the armor of "Bram Stoker's Dracula", “excuse me, i love you” is a film for the already converted Arianator, "The Expanse" Season 5 Episode 4 Recap: "Gaugamela", “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” answered questions no one was asking, “Star Trek Discovery” Season 3 Episode 11 Recap: Hard choices. 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