BEFORE: I'm gearing up for Oscar appreciation month, I'll be following the TCM "31 Days of Oscar" schedule as usual, though it's usually in February, not April, but that's where we find ourselves this year. More on this in just two days time - actually, I should probably start tomorrow and get ahead of the game, if I really want to promote their annual offerings. But it's an alphabetical list this year, and I find those really boring - I like it so much better when they link between films like I do, then I feel like somewhere there's a programmer who's somehow on the same page as I am, like we're sympatico or something. Hey, if you're out there, Mr. or Ms. TCM programmer, please drop me a line.
We're getting close to Easter, too - just five days and six films away, but I should hit it right on the button with something appropriate. Winding down Women's History Month, today's the birthday of British author of "Black Beauty" Anna Sewell (born in 1820), American philosopher, psychologist and dream researcher Mary Calkins (born in 1863), Austrian-English psychologist and author Melanie Klein (born in 1882), American socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor (born in 1902), and Iranian journalist and feminist author Shahia Sherkat (born in 1956). Also Tracy Chapman, Celine Dion and Norah Jones, Happy Birthday to them.
John Hawkes carries over from "Life of Crime".
THE PLOT: Zak runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true.
AFTER: It's a fairly simple story today, but at least it's one that resonates - and it apparently connected with audiences, too, because unlike some of the films I've watched in the past week, this one actually made some money. It earned $20 million domestic and $133 million worldwide against a budget of about $6 million - that's a success, any way you slice it. I missed the obvious references to "Huckleberry Finn", like rafting down a river while being on the lam, but that's why I check IMDB after every movie, that got me up to speed.
I think this film has the potential to even more relevant during the pandemic, as Zak, the young man with Down Syndrome, has been placed in a state-run nursing home, since there's no other place to put him. Well, OF COURSE he should try to escape from a place like that, it's just not safe! His friends at the home assists with his escape attempts, and after a few tries, he finally succeeds. Alone in the world and without much to wear, Zak's choice to hide on a fishing boat ends up pairing him with Tyler, a recently-fired fisherman who's made the mistake of taking out his frustrations by burning another fisherman's traps. So both men are on the run, and Tyler takes Zak under his wing, gets him some clothes and food, and tries to teach him some lessons about surviving out in nature.
Without any better plans, they set out on a journey to a wresting school in North Carolina, to fulfill Zak's dream of becoming a professional wrestler, or at least getting the chance to train under his idol, the Salt Water Redneck. To its credit, the film ignores all the potential obstacles that would prevent this from being a realistic career goal for someone with a disability. Anyway, it's not really about the destination, it's the journey and the people you meet along the way, and the lessons they may have to teach you. Right now I'm applying for all sorts of jobs, many of which are total longshots for me, but in a way I only need one of them to pay off, so I understand Zak's ambitions just a bit - it's easier to continue with your day-to-day if you believe in an end goal, no matter how unrealistic that goal may be. There's no specific date mentioned for when this story takes place, but it's a big hint that Zak's been dreaming about this wrestling school by watching promos for it on a worn-out VHS tape.
The pair is pursued by not only the violent fishermen, but also Eleanor from the care facility, who apparently takes it upon herself to visit every store in a 100-mile radius and knock on every house's door in order to find Zak. Considering that Zak could have fled in any direction, it's a bit far-fetched that she stands a chance of finding him. Sure, she's got a map with his likely destination, but there's no guarantee that he managed to orient himself and travel that way.
I'm always a little wary about movies and TV shows that star an actor with Down syndrome, since not every film gets the tone right, and sometimes it feels like exploitation. I go back and forth on this issue a lot, because clearly there are important stories there to be told, and instances of casting an actor without this condition often fall flat, so finding an actor with this condition (or someone with the condition who can act) therefore seems like the best solution, but I'm still not sure about it. This film, however, got something called the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation, for an accurate depiction of a person with a disability, so I'm going to defer to that, and table the discussion.
How prolific is Bruce Dern? He's been around so long and appeared in so many movies that he's now co-starred with Dakota Johnson, her father, Don Johnson, her mother, Melanie Griffith, and her grandmother, Tippi Hedren.
Also starring Shia LaBeouf (last seen in "Holes"), Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson (last seen in "Suspiria"), Bruce Dern (last seen in "Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood"), Thomas Haden Church (last seen in "Crash Pad"), Jon Bernthal (last seen in "Ford v Ferrari"), Yelawolf, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Mick Foley, Bruce Henderson, Wayne DeHart, Lee Spencer (last seen in "Identity Thief"), Jonathan D. Williams.
RATING: 6 out of 10 pudding cups
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