So, there was one thing about the summer that I had forgotten and I'd like make a public blog apology. It seems like every summer I get excited about two or three of the big blockbuster movies that come out and wind up hating at least half of them. I spend my time talking about how the summer is going to hell and how the CGI in Jurassic World sucked almost as much as the plot did, and how the story of the new Terminator film could've been saved by re-casting everyone except Arnold, and how if I have to see another Avengers movie I'm going to renounce summer all together. I also forget that every summer... and it seems to come out of the blue... there are a few small and quiet films that come out for just a couple of weeks that make a bigger impact to me than anything with a gigantic budget. Last year, quietly, Chef and Snowpiercer came out to small numbers, but with positive results. This year already there's been Dope (which I will be seeing this week), Love and Mercy (which is already a contender for my favorite movie of the year) and now the wonderfully beautiful, funny and sad film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
I'm sure almost all of you haven't heard of the film, and as I said earlier, it's only going to be around select theaters for a few weeks at most, but I encourage everyone to check it out. It's essentially the non-Nicholas Spark'd version of The Fault In Our Stars (yes, I realize Sparks didn't write that book/movie, but it's pretty damn close. We begin with Greg. He's our narrator. He tells us that it's his senior year of high school and he's worked all of his high school career trying to successfully mold himself in the halls to be socially accepted by every clique while remaining essentially invisible. He can walk by any number of groups, give a 'what's up' and be on his way without fear of reputation damage because they accept him and forget him just as quickly. He spends his lunch in the office of his history teacher watching artsy weird Werner Herzog type films. Along side him is his childhood best friend, or "employee", Earl, who is essentially the opposite of Greg in every way. One day, Greg's mother and father (his father played awesomely by Nick Offerman) go into his room to tell him one of his classmates, Rachel, has leukemia and that he needs to go befriend her and do something nice for her. Greg begrudgingly does and winds up forming what he refers to as the "doomed friendship". They compliment each other in both weirdness and likability. She discovers that Greg and Earl make "films" that are intentionally terrible parodies of classic films (ie "Eyes Wide Butt") and falls in love with them. Greg and Earl decide to make a film for Rachel.
It's a wonderful bit of filmmaking. It so easily could've gone the Nicholas Sparks route, but it's more realistic than that. Rachel and Greg don't fall madly in love with each other because he visits her while she's sick and shows her his home movies. She doesn't jump into his arms because she thought he was a weirdo at school, but after seeing his films realizes he's "artistic". No. They become friends. First out of pity, and then because they are truly connected to one another. They could've easily fallen for one another, but there's too much going on in each other's lives to even consider that possibility. The characters are all brilliantly written and nuanced. Rachel is that weird little mumblecore poster child that we're used to seeing, but still retains that "normal high school student who's quirky and likable". She has lots of pillows and draws on her walls and creates art out of pages of books... but still has a poster of Wolverine on her wall. Greg tries so hard to fit in with every single group that he winds up hating himself. He's trying to gel with so many personalities it winds up backfiring and he finds out that he doesn't exactly know what his personality is... which finally comes out during his friendship with Rachel. And Earl, well Earl is perfect. He's everything that Greg wants to be. Earl is a mixture of everyone but that's who he is and he doesn't have anything to prove. He comes from the "bad side of town" and he has a bit of that ghetto attitude, yet he is also a filmmaker, and thoughtful, and smart, and independent, and just as strange as Greg (Earl's favorite thing to do is hang out with Greg's dad and eat exotic food). Earl stands for everything Greg wants to be. And the three couldn't form a more perfect union if they tried.
It's a very funny film surrounding such a dark topic of teenage cancer. It's an important film for teenagers who are trying to figure out their own identity and individuality. It's a great movie for anyone sick of explosions and who's already seen Inside Out four or five times because nothing else out is that emotionally resonant. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is that perfect indie summer movie to give your brain a rest, your belly some laughs, and your heartstrings a tug. It's fantastic.
A-
P.S.-- to convince you even further, just check out the trailer here.
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