In the era of an American president who openly mocks disabled people, Tyler Wilson and Michael Schwartz’s The Peanut Butter Falcon is a defiantly feel-good revelation, one that dares to celebrate the differently-abled amongst us in a story whose behind-the-scenes drama is just as heartwarming as what lays on the page. The saga involves an aspiring actor with Down Syndrome, two homeless wanna-be filmmakers living out of a tent and a Hail Mary DM to Josh Brolin. And that’s all before the movie even gets started. Read More
Out in Theaters: ‘DADDY’S HOME’
There was an age of Will Ferrell where just about anything the slapstick buffoon did would conjure a hearty laugh from me. His performances in Anchorman, as the verbose, showboating newsman Ron Burgundy, and Step Brothers, as perma-man-child Brendan Huff, send me into a goofy rage of hacking cough fits to this day. But it’s been a hot minute since Ferrell has been able to lock himself and his signature non-sequitors into a winning project and Daddy’s Home continues that losing streak. Read More
Out in Theaters: MAX
Obviously Max, the Air Bud of Middle ‘Murica ethics, is no good. A fly-over state moral play coached in Christian values and wartime oorah, Boaz Yakin’s family-friendly wag of the tail falters connecting with non-faith audience members but, worse still, fails to coalesce into a meaningful, cogent piece of cinema in its own right. Character motivations are thinner than a newspaper page with the stumbling centerpiece performances coming off as nothing short of tacky. That being the case, the titular dog Max gave one might performance; ’twas the most convincing one of the film. Read More