Still, Dehart gives respect to the role, doing a lot with the little he was given. Blind Jasper John blends comedy and heartfelt dialogue, even if his part could hardly be smaller. The only characters of color come in the form of Blind Jasper John (Wayne Dehart) and his family and friends, who help Zak and Tyler as they move down the Carolinas. The Peanut Butter Falcon is a white, white film. Regardless of the joy and positivity the movie brings, it misses the mark in inclusive hiring and cannot be overlooked. Let’s start with the crew: White men made this film, and white women fill the gaps in roles such as executive producers, costume designers, and makeup artists. Assessment: 0% of key cast and crew members were POC. Nilson and Schwartz’s lesson in positive masculinity strengthens the story and contributes to the ongoing conversation about what it means to be a man in the modern era.

Meanwhile, Zak learns to be self-sustaining, to be confident in his body, and about the ideals of true manhood: following your dreams, believing in yourself, and having a killer handshake with your best friends. LaBeouf puts together a mumbling but charismatic performance that touches on mentorship as he teaches Zak how to swim and helps him train into tip-top shape. Perhaps due to this perspective, The Peanut Butter Falcon does excel at its exploration of masculinity and emphasizes the importance of nurturing others. As the only significant female character in the film, she lacks sufficient development.īehind the camera, Nilson and Schwartz surrounded themselves with producers and editors who were also primarily men. She gives in to his charms and even lets herself get tricked into being handcuffed to a car, simply because Tyler gave her a kiss. And while the film clearly portrays Eleanor’s intelligence and care for Zak, their relationship sits in shadow to the one Zak holds with Tyler.įurthermore, the plotline in which she falls for the rough-and-tumble Tyler feels lazily crafted. Just one scene mentions her family’s affluent situation, only to never be brought up again. Beyond that, however, her story feels stunted. She displays cunning and an impressive array of tracking skills in finding Zak after he runs away from the nursing home, only to get sucked into their trip down the coast. For starters, The Peanut Butter Falcon centers around three characters-Tyler (LaBeouf), Eleanor (Johnson), and Zak (Gottsagen)-and two of those are men.Įleanor’s character appears to have depth at first. This movie struggles to give time and depth to female characters.

Assessment: 8% of key cast and crew members were women. Though it can be sappy at times, The Peanut Butter Falcon effectively exhibits love and a warm, warm heart. The directors found Gottsagen first, and then this story followed. The Peanut Butter Falcon took an odd path to production, made possible because of one person: its leading man. This feature debut for the team of Nilson and Schwartz deserves recognition, and indicates what the two can do if given the resources. Thanks to decisive editing that weeds out unimportant scenes or unnecessary backstories, each conversation still manages to receive time to breathe, to pause, and to migrate its way to a conclusion. The unadorned mood might feel slow as you watch, but actually hums along at a 97-minute runtime.

The cinematography of Nigel Bluck uses a sprawling landscape, complete with rivers, marshes, plains, and the swampy goodness of the South, to create a beautiful viewing experience that urges you to float on a raft all day. Gottsagen is a force to be reckoned with, and his magnetism cannot be understated. With only three characters to drive the story, each pulls their weight in bringing to life the smart script from Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. The film combines the picturesque setting of the Southeastern coastline with powerful acting by LaBeouf, Johnson, and leading man Gottsagen. They decide to travel down the North Carolina coast, so that Zak can find his wrestling hero and Tyler can begin a new life in Florida. To pursue those dreams, he runs away from his caretaker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) and teams up with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a thief who’s also on the run after blowing up supplies from rival fishermen. The film follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. That said, after The Peanut Butter Falcon, I pretty much skipped out of the theater with a huge smile on my face. Titles like Marriage Story, Parasite, or Ad Astra may have stirred the emotions or driven home important subjects, but I can’t recall the year’s offerings being particularly enjoyable to watch. User-submitted review by Michael Frank 👨🏼🇺🇸įew movies in 2019 have given me reason to smile as I walked out of the theatre. Writers: Tyler Nilson 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Michael Schwartz 👨🏼🇺🇸 Directors: Tyler Nilson 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Michael Schwartz 👨🏼🇺🇸

Peanut butter falcon cast