There is a downside to do-goodery. Among the saddest things in the world is the understanding that execution of good intentions can have negative consequences. I mean, it would be one thing if your agenda were completely GOP/Trumpian in nature –being a bully has got to be part of that credo, right? But what if your emphasis is to do good as a rule and not just pretend it will evolve from dickish behavior in the name “tough love?” I speak about social workers, people who deliberately choose selflessness over paycheck; what does a social worker do when they realize their best intentions have not created a better situation?
Zak (Zack Gottsagen) has Down Syndrome. He’s pretty much the coolest Down Syndrome kid you’ll ever meet. No, he can’t read or write and his speech impediment will give away whatever his appearance did not, but he’s a schemer. Zak is a rarity of rarities, the self-reflective Down Syndrome kid. I tell you, if that’s an act, give it up to Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz for directing tandem of the year. There’s a crisis at the old folks home where Zak lives. That’s pretty much the crisis – Zak is barely 20, but being a member of the Down Syndrome tribe, his life has been square pegged with the geezer connection like Japanese train commuters all smushed together by professional bouncers. And Zak hates it.
Meanwhile, in another film, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) is a loser. Wait. “Loser” isn’t gonna do it. It applies, but it just doesn’t have the right feel. After consulting my thesaurus for terms like scofflaw, vagrant, and drifter, I’ve hit upon the best description: ne’er-do-well. Tyler is a ne’er-do-well, the kind of guy who cannot help breaking the law even when he’s properly employed. He’s introduced to us stealing crabs from rival traps and when he’s caught and properly shamed, turns to arson for therapy. I did say, “ne’er-do-well,” yes?
Well, old folks homes on the Carolina coast can only hold a defiant Down Syndrome kid for so long. With some help, Zak finally busts out, yay! However, upon this exodus, Zak owns exactly one thing: the pair of tighty-whities he’s wearing. How do you lose a Down Syndrome kid wearing only his drawers?
We can see this coming: Tyler’s on the run; Zak’s on the run. It’s a modern day The Defiant Ones. The Peanut Butter Falcon is your basic buddy road pic, but it’s so much more – both of these fellas need help. And each represents the exact last thing you’d expect to get help from. How is a naked Down Syndrome kid supposed to give a punk a soul? How is a soulless punk supposed to give a naked Down Syndrome kid security? Oh, and where is Zak headed? To find The Salt Water Redneck, a professional wrestler of local legend. Everybody needs a quest, right?
I actually looked up retirement home employee, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson). Oh, I knew it was Dakota Johnson, I just 
couldn’t quite believe it. You’re giving a performance where I give a damn what you think … what did you do with the real Dakota Johnson? I know … you have her tied up with some of the bondage material left over from three terrible Fifty Shades films, right? As for Shia LaBeouf, don’t even get me started. This is his first role since Holes that I actually cared about whether or not I spelled his name correctly. Neither Johnson nor LaBeouf has ever been better, and I know they’re both young, but I cannot envision any future in which they deliver better performances than these.
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a sweet film; it’s a reminder that perhaps one person cannot change the world entire, yet one person can certainly change their own world and, of course, that micro-altruism is its own reward. On screen, there’s so much delight between Zak and Tyler that we really don’t want Zak to be found. Picture that thought – Down Syndrome kid out in the wild, his only protector and caregiver being the local ne’er-do-well, and somehow his situation is superior to the situation where his food, shelter, and clothing are all guaranteed. I would bet large sums of money that this formula cannot be successfully repeated, but I love the results here; this is one of my favorite films of 2019.
“Ladies and gents, I have news that may fright
Syndrome kid has departed our site
Let’s collect him before sun
Or our jobs will be done
Everybody, let’s get Down tonight”
Rated PG-13, 97 Minutes
Director: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
Writer: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
Genre: Buddy road pic variation 203c
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: The empathetic
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Bullies
