The Peanut Butter Falcon

2019 | Drama | 98 minutes | In English

Info

Zak, a 22-year old with Down syndrome, lives in an assisted living facility in North Carolina. Eleanor is his compassionate primary caregiver. Zak is obsessed with wrestling and watches the same video over and over again of Salt Water Redneck, a person operating a wrestling school in Florida. With the aid of his elderly roommate, Carl, Zak escapes from the facility determined to meet Redneck. Zak stows away on a small fishing boat for the night. Tyler, an unstable man and a thief is on the lam after a confrontation with local fishermen. He finds Zak on the boat he is about to use for his escape. Initially, Tyler wants to leave Zak behind, but changes his mind when he sees a 13-year old boy bullying Zak. Tyler is willing to take Zak to meet Salt Water Redneck and they head south. They start to bond as Tyler teaches Zak how to swim and fire a gun. They live on peanut butter as it’s the only grocery item they can afford. The next morning Eleanor locates Zak and tries to convince him to return to the facility. Instead, Tyler convinces Eleanor to join them on their journey agreeing that Zak will return to the facility after he hooks up with Redneck. Unfortunately, they find the school closed. They meet a rascal named Clint who teaches Zak how to wrestle and sets up a staged fight for Zak with a more experienced wrestler. Eleanor is frightened for Zak when she sees how brutal these fights can be. But, it’s a momentous occasion for Zak, an opportunity to enhance his terribly low self-esteem.

Cast

Zack Gottsagen (Zak) / Shia LaBeouf (Tyler) / Dakota Johnson (Eleanor) / Bruce Dern (Carl) / Thomas Haden Church (Clint)

Why Stream This Film?

Mostly you’ll find able-bodied actors playing the roles of disabled characters. They often do give commendable performances, sometimes winning Oscars. But to watch Gottsagen’s performance is an eye-opener, and a heartwarming one. As critic Sheila O’Malley wrote in her closing line to her review, “It is inconceivable to imagine an able-bodied name actor playing this role and bringing to it even half of what Gottsagen does naturally.” It’s also a terrific movie!

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 95%
Metacritic Score: 70

Accolades

South by Southwest Film Festival: Winner of the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award
Nantucket Film Festival: Winner, Best Narrative Feature
Deauville Film Festival: Audience Award
Crested Butte Film Festival: Winner, Audience Choice Award; Winner, Outstanding Debut Performance (Zack Gottsagen)

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There has been quite some noise around this film, but it deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting. The film is a sweet, funny and heartfelt look at friendship and strength. After seeing it people will remember this as one of the year’s best movies.

Samantha Incorvaia

Arizona Republic

Clichés aside, there is something at work in THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, something eccentric and exuberant. Directors Nilson and Schwartz’s devotion to the details of Zac’s world highlights Gottsagen’s funny and intelligent performance, giving the film an authenticity it wouldn’t otherwise have.

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

The directors achieve a relaxed and amiable vibe while moving the story forward with dispatch through picturesque Southern Atlantic land and seascapes. And Gottsagen is a disarming performer who creates a sweet and funny character. The center of the film is completely without contrivance.

Glenn Kenny

The New York Times

There is honest sentiment in the arc of this story, aided by the chemistry between Gottsagen and LaBeouf. THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON is a more conventional film, and by the time Zak and Tyler reach their destination, it has morphed into a full-on, feel-good fable, but the kind that doesn’t make you feel bad about feeling good.

Gary Thompson

The Philadelphia Inquirer

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