The Peanut Butter Falcon

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a 2019 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, in their feature film directorial debuts, and starring Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal and Thomas Haden Church. Its plot follows a young man with Down syndrome (Gottsagen) who escapes from an assisted living facility and befriends a wayward fisherman on the run (LaBeouf); as the two men form a rapid bond, a social worker (Johnson) attempts to track them.

The Peanut Butter Falcon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Tyler Nilson
  • Michael Schwartz
Produced by
Written by
  • Tyler Nilson
  • Michael Schwartz
Starring
Music by
CinematographyNigel Bluck
Edited by
Production
company
  • Armory Films
  • Lucky Treehouse
  • Bona Fide Productions
  • Endeavor Content
Distributed byRoadside Attractions
Release date
  • March 9, 2019 (2019-03-09) (SXSW)
  • August 9, 2019 (2019-08-09) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.2 million[1]
Box office$23.3 million[2][3]

Filming took place in North Carolina and Georgia. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2019, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 9, 2019, by Roadside Attractions. The film went on to become a sleeper hit, grossing over $23 million, making it the highest grossing independent film of the year, and received praise from critics.[4] Gottsagen became the first individual with Down syndrome to present an Academy Award when he and LaBeouf announced the Best Live Action Short Film on February 9, 2020.[5]

Plot

Zak, a 22-year-old with Down syndrome, lives in an assisted living facility in Richmond, Virginia where he is cared for by Eleanor. He dreams of becoming a professional wrestler and attending the wrestling school of his hero, the Salt Water Redneck, whose videos he watches obsessively. After a failed escape attempt, Zak sneaks out of the home late at night with the assistance of his elderly roommate, Carl. He stows away on a small fishing boat for the night.

Tyler, a thief and fisherman, is turned away from selling his stolen crabs at the local crab shack because he does not have a license. After a confrontation with the crabbers, he burns $12,000 worth of their equipment on the docks and is pursued by the incensed miscreants Duncan and Ratboy. Tyler escapes on his aging boat, which Zak happens to be hiding on. He discovers Zak on board and attempts to leave him behind once they reach shore. However, he witnesses a thirteen-year-old bullying Zak to jump in the water, even though he can't swim. Tyler intervenes and permits Zak to come with him, and agrees to accompany Zak to the wrestling school en route to his ultimate destination in Florida.

Duncan and Ratboy spread the word in their ongoing search for Tyler, while Eleanor searches for Zak. Eleanor and Tyler cross paths at a convenience store, where Tyler denies having seen Zak. During their travels, Tyler teaches Zak how to swim and fire a gun, and encourages his self-confidence. During a river crossing, they are nearly struck by a passing boat, and they encounter a blind religious man, who baptizes Zak and gives them supplies to make a raft to complete their journey down the river. They celebrate that night by getting drunk on the beach, and Zak invents a wrestling persona for himself: The Peanut Butter Falcon. The pair had been eating peanut butter extensively because it was the one grocery item that was affordable. Tyler also experiences dreams and flashbacks about his late brother and it is implied that he was responsible for his brother's death in an accident by driving under the influence of alcohol, and his wayward behaviour was driven by guilt.

The next morning, Eleanor discovers their camp, and attempts to persuade Zak to come back with her. Tyler convinces her to accompany them on their journey instead, which she agrees to do on the condition that they return to the home after reaching the wrestling school. They sail the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Tyler and Eleanor argue over how much freedom Zak ought to have. That night, while they shelter in a seaside shack, Duncan and Ratboy burn their raft and threaten to shoot Tyler's hand. Zak uses Tyler's shotgun to defend his friends.

The three arrive in the wrestling school's town and search for Salt Water Redneck's home. They discover the school has been closed for over a decade and the Redneck, now known as Clint, is no longer a wrestler. Zak is disappointed, but shakes Clint's hand and they leave. Eleanor learns that because of his escape, Zak will be transferred to a more secure facility which is also a recovery home for drug addicts upon his return, while Tyler wants Eleanor to come with him to Florida. They are approached by Clint, now dressed as the Salt Water Redneck. Moved by Tyler's earlier speech, he agrees to take on Zak as a protégé.

Clint trains Zak, and sets him up for a staged fight against a friend, Sam. Eleanor, alarmed by the violence on display, does not want Zak to take part. Tyler and Eleanor kiss, but he uses the moment to handcuff her to a steering wheel to prevent her from intervening. A nervous Zak plays to the crowd as he enters the ring, and Sam, envious of Zak's reception, does not fight clean. Spotting Duncan and Ratboy in the crowd, Eleanor frees herself and attempts to warn Tyler as Zak overcomes his fear and throws Sam from the ring, winning the fight. Duncan runs in and strikes Tyler in the head with a tire iron as the fight ends.

At the hospital, Zak and Eleanor nervously wait for news on Tyler's condition.

Later, Eleanor and Zak arrive in Florida. Zak reaches into the back of the vehicle to wake Tyler, who, it is revealed, survived the attack.

Cast

Production

The film is a modern retelling of the Huckleberry Finn story, which takes Gottsagen's own desire to be an actor and changes it into a quest to become a wrestler.[6] Nilson and Schwartz first met Zack Gottsagen at a camp for actors with disabilities around 2011 in Venice, California, and he expressed interest in them making a film with him. After shooting a $20,000 proof-of-concept video, with producer David Thies, the duo received funding for a feature starring Gottsagen.[7] The project was officially announced in June 2017, with Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, and Bruce Dern also starring.[8] In July 2017, production began in Georgia.[9] Later that month, John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal, and Thomas Haden Church were added to the cast, with professional wrestlers Mick Foley and Jake Roberts and rapper Yelawolf making appearances in the film.[9]

Music

Schwartz and Nilson wanted to play the music that inspired them while writing, and on set used a boombox to play the same music before performing a scene. The soundtrack brings together bluegrass, folk songs, and spirituals, for a mix of contemporary and timeless. The soundtrack contains original music composed by Zach Dawes, Jonathan Sadoff of Thenewno2, and Noam Pikelny and Gabe Witcher of Punch Brothers, as well as new and classic songs from Sara Watkins, Chance McCoy of Old Crow Medicine Show, Gregory Alan Isakov, Ola Belle Reed, and the Staple Singers. They were surprised to be able to secure the rights to many of the songs they used at a fraction of the cost they expected.[6]

Release

The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2019.[10] Shortly after, Roadside Attractions acquired distribution rights to the film, and released it in theaters on August 9, 2019.[11]

Reception

Box office

The Peanut Butter Falcon grossed $20.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $2.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $23.1 million.[2]

In its limited opening weekend on August 9, the film grossed $205,200 from 17 theaters.[12] The studio reported that the film was number one in more than half of the theaters it played at, including "a big commercial multiplex in Salt Lake City," and locations in Los Angeles, Dallas, Charlotte, Denver and Austin, with "lots of sellouts in various markets."[13] The film expanded wide on August 23, to 991 theaters, and grossed $3 million for the weekend, finishing 12th.[14] It went on to become a sleeper hit,[15] expanding the following weekend to 1,249 theaters and earning $3 million, as well as $1.1 million on Labor Day.[16] The film grossed $115,420 in its 11th week of release, crossing the $20 million mark.[17]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 203 reviews, with an average rating of 7.47/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A feelgood adventure brought to life by outstanding performances, The Peanut Butter Falcon finds rich modern resonance in classic American fiction."[18] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[19] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+," while those at PostTrak gave it an average 4.5 out of 5 stars and a 62% "definite recommend."[12][14]

Peter Debruge of Variety praised the performances, saying "In Gottsagen, we get a performer who appears to be playing an earnest, unfiltered version of himself, while in LaBeouf, there are layers at play. Oddly enough, both approaches result in a kind of spontaneous unpredictability." He called the film "a feel-good niche indie with its priorities in the right place."[20] Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "[Gottsagen's] sensibility infuses the modern-day fable with an engaging forthrightness. But the unequivocal material often sticks close to the surface, and the film built around him, for all its physical sweep, can feel constricted by obviousness."[21]

Accolades
  • The Narrative Spotlight Audience Award at South by Southwest[22]
  • Audience Award for Narrative Feature and Winner for Best Narrative Feature at the Nantucket Film Festival[23]
  • Truly Moving Picture Award at the Heartland Film [24]
  • Audience Choice Award for the film and Outstanding Debut Performance for Zack Gottsagen at Crested Butted Film Festival[25]
  • Audience Award at the Deauville Film Festival [26]
  • Rising Star Award for Zack Gottsagen at Palm Springs International Film Festival[4]
  • Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award for directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz from North Carolina Film Critics Association[27]
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References
  1. Rice, Brianna (August 23, 2019). "The Cincinnati connection to Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson's 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. "The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. "The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  4. McNary, Dave (4 December 2019). "'Peanut Butter Falcon' Star Zack Gottsagen to Receive Palm Springs Festival Honor". Variety.
  5. https://abc7ny.com/entertainment/zack-gottsagen-makes-history-as-1st-oscars-presenter-with-down-syndrome/5917547/
  6. Monagle, Matthew (2019-08-07). "Bluegrass, Low Budgets, and Professional Wrestling: How the Indie Sensation 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' Was Made". /Film. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  7. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-03-15). "'The Peanut Butter Falcon's Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen And Filmmakers Talk Non-Cutesy Authenticity Of SXSW Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  8. Busch, Anita (2017-06-14). "Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern Joining 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  9. N'Duka, Amanda (2017-06-24). "John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal & Thomas Haden Church Board 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  10. Kilday, Gregg (2019-01-16). "SXSW: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey to Premiere New Work". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  11. Hipes, Patrick (2019-05-15). "SXSW Audience Winner 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' Acquired By Roadside Attractions For Summer Bow". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  12. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-08-11). "'Hobbs' Hauls $25M; 'Scary Stories' Frighten 'Dora'; 'Kitchen' Sinks Melissa McCarthy & Tiffany Haddish To Career B.O. Lows – Saturday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-08-11.
  13. Brooks, Brian (2019-08-11). "'The Peanut Butter Falcon' Leads Mixed Weekend; Music Doc 'Bring The Soul' Croons; 'The Farewell' Salutes $10M: Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  14. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-08-25). "'Angel Has Fallen' Still Ascending Close To 'London' With $20M; Tarantino's 'Hollywood' Beating 'Basterds' – Saturday AM B.O." Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  15. Thompson, Gary (August 22, 2019). "How 'Friends' inspired Conshohocken's Aaron Scotti to start making movies, like the delightful 'Peanut Butter Falcon'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  16. D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 1, 2019). "'Angel Has Fallen' Still In Flight At Sluggish Labor Day Box Office With $16M+ 4-Day". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  17. Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 27, 2019). "'Synonyms' And Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Have Solid Premieres, 'Frankie' Debuts Soft – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  18. "The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  19. "The Peanut Butter Falcon Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  20. Debruge, Peter (2019-03-10). "Film Review: 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  21. Linden, Sheri (2019-03-13). "'The Peanut Butter Falcon': Film Review SXSW 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  22. Rossi, Rosemary (2019-03-16). "'Running With Beto,' Shia LaBeouf's 'Peanut Butter Falcon' Win SXSW Audience Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  23. https://variety.com/2019/film/news/the-peanut-butter-falcon-for-sama-win-top-awards-at-nantucket-film-festival-1203251399/
  24. https://heartlandfilm.org/tmpa/
  25. http://cbfilmfest.org/awards
  26. https://www.festival-deauville.com/pid44/film-2434/the-peanut-butter-falcon?c=9
  27. https://www.awardscircuit.com/2020/01/03/parasite-wins-best-film-director-from-north-carolina-film-critics-association/
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