REVIEW: The Peanut Butter Falcon

By: Sarah Freund

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked into University 16, popcorn in hand, to see

Shia LaBeouf’s latest film. I didn’t understand the significance of the odd title “Peanut Butter

Falcon,” until about halfway through. By the five minute mark, I became so transfixed with the story that when that revelation did come, I had almost forgotten about it.

The plot, set in a backdrop of marsh grass and palm trees, begins early in the film. Right away, the audience is introduced to Tyler, played by LaBeouf, and Zak, played by newcomer Zack Gottsagen.

Important to note is the fact that Gottsagen has Down syndrome. The film does a beautiful job of allowing his disability to shine without any disingenuous treatment. I was amazed at the skill of his acting and the complexities of his character.

Before meeting one another, these very different young men lead separate lives, Zak being

confined to a nursing home at the young age of 22 and Tyler living life alone as a fisherman in the low-country. Their lives intersect when Zak runs away from the nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a wrestler, and winds up following Tyler down the east coast to South

Carolina to meet Zak’s idol, Saltwater Redneck.

They are later joined by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), Zak’s faithful caretaker at the nursing home, who has pursued him after his escape. The three are bonded together by an adventure much bigger than the pursuit of a dream, in which love is born, relationships are cemented and all three experience redemption.

At first, the unlikeliness of the relationship that forms between Tyler and Zak feels as unusual as the combination of a sticky sandwich spread and a predatory bird. But it more than excels, and by the time Tyler comes up with Zak’s wrestling name in a comical moment on the beach, you realize it’s the combination you didn’t know you needed. The strength that these two men offer to one another through their friendship is both heartwarming and sobering.

“I can’t be a hero because I am a Down syndrome,” Zak says at one moment, to which Tyler

lovingly corrects him. There is something tremendously vulnerable in Zak’s words in that

moment, devoid of his usual stubbornness.

Later, the audience finally gets to see Tyler truly smile after the Zak offers him “all of his

birthday wishes,” in a moment that feels climactic. When he does, it’s as if the movie could end right there, even with so much left unfinished. In that moment, in which the majority of

communication is nonverbal, the characters are at their best and the emotion of the film is

culminated.

The film offers subtle commentary on themes such as sexism also, with Eleanor being the

recipient of uncalled for cynicism from her employer because she is a woman. In addition, there is the glaring theme of disability. Seeing the word “retard” hurled at someone who actually has a condition that inhibits them mentally is jarring, in real life and in film. Audience members were, no doubt, reminded to avoid these kinds of words even in jest.

Another interesting angle of the story is the treatment of people with disabilities; some characters treat Zak like he is a child and others treat him as if he doesn’t matter. Both approaches receive their correction at various times throughout the film.

Though there are rich themes, the story itself is stronger than any point sought to be made by the writers. They allowed the story to truly be the centerpiece of the film, creating an emotional reaction in the audience without force.

The falling action of the film is entertaining, yes, but I would argue that it’s not even vital after some of the moments that transpire between Zak, Tyler and Eleanor around halfway through, which is the mark of a satisfying core message -- it doesn’t need action to make it stick. For anyone looking to be both challenged and uplifted, this movie more than fits that bill.