Under the right circumstances, any plausibility issues a film may face are easily overcome by an overabundance of heart. Case in point: The Peanut Butter Falcon. Once past its minor contrivances, this modern-day retelling of Huckleberry Finn is full to the brim with the kind of feel-good warmth so many films strive for but seldom achieve. The Peanut Butter Falcon is a wonderful fable about friendship, dreams, perseverance, and acceptance, and would fit nicely with the films of my youth.
First, Shia LaBeouf is an actor whose talent is often overshadowed by his troubled personal life. This year’s performances in both The Peanut Butter Falcon and his autobiographical depiction of his own father in Honey Boy should prove that beyond doubt. In both films, LaBeouf’s talents are complemented by upstarts with chops of their own, which brings me to the extremely charismatic Zack Gottsagen.
Gottsagen, who has Down syndrome, plays a young man with no family or resources who, for lack of anywhere else to put him, lives in a North Carolina retirement community. He dreams of escaping to a small coastal town where his favorite wrestler, the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church), has a school to teach up-and-comers the craft. He’s looked after by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), but with the help of his crotchety roommate (Bruce Dern) manages a midnight and nearly naked sprint to freedom.
He soon meets Tyler (LaBeouf), who is recently on the lam himself after running afoul of some local unsavory fisherman. Together, the two form an unlikely bond as they navigate the Intracoastal waterways of North Carolina in search of the Salt Water Redneck and his wrestling school. And, in true Huck and Jim fashion, they meet an assortment of colorful characters along the way while avoiding anyone who would impede their freedom or their quest.
Gottsagen and LaBeouf make for an excellent pair. Their chemistry and camaraderie are infectious, and it’s very easy to believe in their relationship and their plight. What’s more, Gottsagen’s Down syndrome isn’t treated as a crutch or a flaw to overcome, but simply as an element that provides depth to his character. I can only imagine the positive effects his role has had on the Down syndrome community, demonstrating the vast importance of representation in all forms of media. Gottsagen not only holds his own with an accomplished actor like LaBeouf, but elevates the entire cast.
As anger and loneliness give way to acceptance and forgiveness, the journey takes on mythical proportions. Had it been released in the 1980s, I have no doubt The Peanut Butter Falcon would now be considered a nostalgic favorite among my peers. Its PG-13 rating would have been an easy PG back then, and I can imagine being dropped off at the mall to see it with my cousins and friends. If you’re not careful, watching a film like this may make you long for the magic of a bygone movie era (one that could be mistaken for “innocent” if you weren’t paying attention) and the ethereal, otherworldly qualities of its noble voyage may even take you there.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.