The Peanut Butter Falcon

As the father of a son with Down Syndrome I had high hopes and expectations for this movie. I watched all the interviews and reviews and was super excited to watch this. My wife and I went to watch it this morning, first showing and first people to purchase tickets from our local movie theatre. The movie starts and we were in awe of Zak and Tyler. They're chemistry was electric. You could tell Shia truly loved being beside and being with Gotteagen. This movie made my heart happy more than anything. I understand the movie had to tackle the dreaded "R" word and it hurt hearing the word tossed out by a child at the beginning but Zaks response was legendary and I will never forget it! It did a great job of shedding light on people with Down Syndrome and the struggles SOME go through. Unfortunately there are still people out there who don't know the joy of having a person with Down Syndrome can truly bring into they're lives. All in all an amazing movie that makes perfect sense. I recommend this movie to anyone and everyone who has any heart. Hopefully this will become a series cause I would personally love to follow this story for as long as it can go on.

I didn't have many expectations for this movie, the trailer mainly just made it seem like something original, which is always a plus nowadays. But this movie was heartwarming, funny, and certainly original. The chemistry between Shia LeBeouf, Dakota Johnson, and Zack Gottsagen felt very genuine and natural, not to mention likable.

The first half of the film was mainly a road movie with Shia LeBeouf and Zack Gottsagen's characters, and it was enjoyable and funny as all get out. There were some moments of character development and flashbacks that were very tastefully done that utilized subtlety to show Shia LeBeouf character's background. And Zack Gottsagen's character felt very natural and likeable, with layers to his performance and connection with wrestling that showed a lot of characterization.

Not to mention, the cinematography and music was very captivating and gave the film some subtle and charming personality. The only real issue I had with it was that the pacing lagged a bit about ¾ of the way through. But it quickly found its way again and became pretty unpredictable as to where the story was going. Overall, this movie was so enjoyable, heartwarming and it was a great character movie and road movie that truly felt like a breath of fresh air.

A really charming adventure with well developed characters, good performances and a very strong emotional centre. All of the performances are really good, particularly from Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf, and their characters have enjoyable relationships that leads to a lot of natural humour coming from them. It's nice to see down syndrome representation in films without that big of a deal being made about it. I really like the visual feel of the film - the landscapes are great to look at and the colour palette matches the feel of the film perfectly. Most of my issues are smaller, such as some bad editing, but overall this is a fun and charming film that I would definitely recommend.

First things first... Zack Gottsagen is a revelation and he steals the entire movie. His interactions with. Shia LaBeouf are heartwarming, and (rumor has it) often spontaneous and unscripted. Probably the most unusual "buddy film" you will have seen in ages.

The story isn't as dazzling as Zack is, but it's warm and sweet with all the feels. Two "pals" on the run for very different reasons... one pursued by tattooed thugs, the other by his beautiful "jailor." The clashes are predictable, as is the romantic entanglement. But it works, because Zack holds it all together with his charm and innocence.

Shout out to the wonderful Thomas Haden Church, who does a great turn as a gruff retired professional wrestler, with a heart of gold. His scenes with Zack are priceless and it's a pleasure to watch him work.

All in all, it's a cute film if you don't think too hard about the implausibility it all, and just go with the flow.

'The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)' is a feel-good road movie about a young man with Down syndrome who escapes from his care-home to pursue a career as a wrestler, meeting and bonding with a guilt-ridden man on the run in the process. It's a kind-hearted, uplifting experience with a positive, anti-discrimination message and a palpable, life-affirming central relationship. The piece is sweet but never saccharine, a perfect mix of mundane realism and smile-inducing absurdity. Its world feels tangible throughout, as do all its characters, and its narrative somehow manages to milk its familiar premise for all it's worth. Even though it is, essentially, exactly what you expect it to be, you can't help but go along for the ride. At the same time, it subtly subverts some of the genre's most obvious tropes. It's a great time that doesn't talk down to its audience. It's genuinely charming and it's also rather funny. It's great. 8/10