SiftPop

By Shane Conto

Who would have thought that one of the best indie films of 2019 is about a young man who has Down Syndrome who escapes from a nursing home to become a pro wrestler and adventures Huckleberry Finn-style with Shia LaBeouf? That is Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz’s The Peanut Butter Falcon in a nutshell! With that lovely stage set, it is time to discuss some aspects of this wonderful film that really deserve your attention and the attention of awards voters this awards season.

Cinematography: Nigel Bluck

Nigel Bluck is not a household name when it comes to directors of photography (not many really are) but his experiences on many films including camera work on The Lord of the Rings can be seen in his work here. The Peanut Butter Falcon might not be a film that you would expect top-notch photography to be an essential aspect but in actuality, it makes perfect sense. The film has a quest film feel as our hero, Zak, along with his new friend, Tyler, go on their hero’s journey across the water. The beautiful sailing sequences and scenes walking across the picturesque landscape are ripe for some impressive camerawork. The most memorable shots are those of that look straight down overhead our protagonists as they walk across fields or swim across rivers. The striking sunlight of the river lands are captured perfectly on film and this makes for some great shots throughout. Will Bluck get nominated? Most likely not, but how could I go without gushing over this great cinematography?

Original Screenplay: Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

As I mentioned at the top of this article, this is quite the unexpected film. Nilson & Schwartz take a story that could easily be absurd and silly but some how weave in clever dialogue, respectful humor, emotional moments, and great character arcs. There may be a few characters that are pretty one dimensional but this is a brisk script that efficiently sets up the story while building two central characters that work so well not only on their own but even better together. The relationship between Zak and Tyler is so organic and believable. The flashbacks are organic and really set the stage for the budding relationship in the present time of the script. That is how you make effective flashbacks. And then there is the treatment of a young man with Downs Syndrome. So much respect and care are taken in this script as a lot of commentary is organically incorporated into character interactions. Zak is never a joke or defined by just his Down Syndrome. This is a significant achievement in handling of disabilities and still delivers a fun, emotional, and moving story. How many screenplays can say that? Not many.

Supporting Actor: Shia LaBeouf 

You saw that nomination recommendation right! Does the screaming young man from Transformers and the weird kid from Even Stevens really deserve Oscar buzz? Yeah…he does. For many mainstream audience members, LaBeouf is not known for his acting chops. But Shia LaBeouf has shown in Fury and American Honey that he does indeed have acting prowess. Much like Robert Pattinson, he is defined by one role that did him no favors. But The Peanut Butter Falcon allows Shia LaBeouf to show some range while playing a consistent and fleshed out character. The tender flashbacks show his relationship with his older brother but no audio is played. That is because the acting by LaBeouf and Jon Bernthal do all the talking. This tenderness is shown again with his interactions with Zack Gottsagen (the leading man). He then shows his charming side with moments of flirting with Dakota Johnson. These scenes are believable and create a nice contrast with other scenes to build a more rounded character. One particular moment on a raft going down a river where Zak and Tyler really connect was memorable and the real heart of the film. This scene worked because of the commitment of LaBeouf and his raw performance. This is everything you could want from a supporting performance as he compliments and builds on the central performance of Zack Gottsagen.

Director(s): Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

I will just add a few thoughts here as I have already gushed plenty over the work of these two newer artists to watch out for. The pacing of The Peanut Butter Falcon is brisk to match the efficiency shown by Nilson & Schwartz’s screenplay. They are able to balance the more emotional moments of the film with respect and tenderness that avoid melodrama with the more intense scenes, specifically centered around the cat and mouse game between LaBeouf and a tense and intimidating John Hawkes. They know just when to jump to flashbacks and the choice to make the flashback sequences silent was inspired. While many films choose to tell us and not show us, Nilson and Schwartz choose to do movie making the right way. Showing will always be more organic with the medium and they made it seem easy. Great performances all around along with a controlled tone that balances the humor and tenderness with real tension make the direction worth acknowledging. 

Best Picture: Like 12 Different Producers and Who the Hell Knows Who Would Actually Qualify to Accept This Award

Would it be the world’s largest copout to just say “read all the stuff above” for this one? Most likely, so I will add one other comment to justify The Peanut Butter Falcon’s place in the Best Picture conversation. Any film that is so memorable, fun, emotional, and poignant with a plot about an escaped young man with Down Syndrome who wants to be a pro wrestler (which also feature some legendary pro wrestlers in cameos) has to be nominated for awards, right? 

Grade: A