The Peanut Butter Falcon Image

The Peanut Butter Falcon

By Alan Ng | August 6, 2020

NEW TO HULU! Should the story behind a film influence the final rating or score for that film? Should a film score higher for reasons not presented on the screen. If we allow these external forces to influence our criticism, then it diminishes truly great pieces of cinematic art. But there is use for backstory. If I had not heard the story behind Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz’s The Peanut Butter Falcon, I would have passed it by. That said, while the story behind the film is an inspiring one, this is a great piece of cinematic art.

Zak (Zack Gottsagen) is a young man with Down Syndrome, forced to live the rest of his young life in a retirement home. With no family, he’s a ward of the state, and this is where he’s been assigned. Seeking freedom, Zak’s latest attempt to flee gets him listed as a “flight risk” by the home’s supervisor Eleanor (Dakota Johnson). But bars be damned, and Zak is going to escape then head to a school located far off in the Florida Panhandle to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Said school is run by veteran wrestler The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). With the help of his roommate Carl (Bruce Dern), Zak escapes the facility for good.

Meanwhile, there’s Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who, like Zak, has no family after the death of his older brother Mark (Jon Bernthal). His search to make a buck leads him down a path of trouble and now he is on the run after burning down the business of the questionable fisherman Duncan (John Hawkes) and his heavy Ratboy (Yelawolf). These two really want to kill Tyler…like dead.

“…a young man with Down Syndrome…to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.”

As fate would have it, Zak was hiding in the boat Tyler uses to escape Duncan in the Florida marshes. Their relationship starts off rough. Tyler wants nothing to do with Zak, and Zak wants a friend. After a serendipitous run-in with Eleanor, Tyler learns of Zak’s plight agrees to help him meet his wrestling hero. The rest of the film is essentially a buddy-road-trip on foot and raft.

Whatever you’ve heard good or bad, The Peanut Butter Falcon is a brilliant and touching movie. It’s absolutely exceptional piece of storytelling from start to finish.  The film was written for its star, Zack Gottsagen, and passed on by many studios because they didn’t want Zack to star in it. Really, Scarlett Johansson can’t play everything.

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Directed and Written: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz

Starring: Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, Wayne Dehart, Yelawolf, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley, etc.

Movie score: 9/10

The Peanut Butter Falcon Image

"…The Peanut Butter Falcon is the sh!t!?!"

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  1. K Fitz says:

    This by far is the BEST film I have seen in a long time the chemistry Shia, Dakota, and Zack was awesome, there needs to be a Peanut Butter Falcon 2 for the story has not ended!!!

  2. Courtney Denniston says:

    Please make a second one!! Just watched with my kids the other night and we all loved it!! I could watch hours and hours and hours of these 3!!

  3. Kelly Jo Vaughan says:

    This was by far the best movie of the whole year!! Will definitely watch this over and over!

  4. Post-Punk Monk says:

    This was an excellent film, but I must point out that the movie took place in the North Carolina Outer Banks [albeit with Georgia standing in]. Not Florida as stated. But it captured the Outer Banks vibe well. The borderline poverty-stricken NC coastal milieu seemed very, very real. And one of the pleasures of the movie, apart from the strong leads, were the character actors who seemed like they were plucked from the environment and dropped into the film. Particular kudos for Lee Spencer who played Tyler’s boss Glen early on. I was 100% invested in that character and that cemented my bond with the film. I thought I was watching a Ken Loach film when he was onscreen! The only false note in the movie was the accent of the facility director, but that was it.

  5. Dusty says:

    The story takes place on the outer banks of North Carolina. Not Florida. It only ends in Florida.

  6. Wayne DEHART says:

    The Blind Preacher is WAYNE DEHART

  7. The Peanut Butter Falcon - NewsFind says:

    […] Should the story behind a film influence the final rating or score for that film? Should a film score higher for reasons… Source link […]

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