Film - Peanut Butter Falcon

A film that started a whole 30 mins after the advertised time (I’m monitoring these things as I’ve almost missed a couple that started less than 15 mins after the start time - that’s generally unheard off) it needed to start well. 

It’s the story of a young man, Zak, with downs syndrome who escapes from his ‘care’ home with the dream of becoming a wrestler. I know it will be a sweet film although what’s described as the inevitable ‘unlikely’ friendship isn’t: two people cast out by society meet and become friends. What’s unlikely?

When Zak escapes with the help of one of the cheeky residents (Bruce Dern) at the old people’s home he is, for some reason is placed in, in his underpants for good measure, he encounters, a fisherman on the run, Tyler. 

Rather than living from month to month, Tyler is living from day to day and is being chased by a bunch of rival fishermen who got the license after his brother passed away.

On meeting Tyler, Zak declares, ‘there’s something I have to tell you, I’m Downs Syndrome.

I don’t give a ****. 

I love that the disability didn’t matter and Tyler agrees to let Zak travel with him to get to his destination, a wrestling school. This turns out to be more hitchhiking and creating makeshift rafts to cross rivers rather than driving. The water plays a sizable part in this film and gives it it’s romance. I wonder if it would be same with any other setting?

I saw The Peanut Butter Falcon on its last showing which at 8.50 (and starting 30 minutes later) is way past my normal cut off of 6pm to see a film but it was worth it. It’s a buddy movie of the most traditional kind, set as it is in small-town poverty-stricken America. We meet just the odd character along the way and like most movies of its kind, it has heart.

7½/10