Director: Rob Burnett
Starring: Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle.
Big Network TV producer Rob Burnett directs his first feature length film since 2007's comedy, We Made This Movie. The bulk of his entertainment career has been as executive producer behind The Late Show with David Letterman and CEO of network televisions programs such as Everyone Loves Raymond and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.
Based on Jonathan Evison's book, The Revised Fundamentals of caregiving. Burnett Netflix original about a Teenager boy, Trevor, who suffers from Duchenne Muscle Dystrophy embarks on a road trip of discovery with his new, inexperienced carer Ben Benjamin who appears to have his own underlying, personal issues himself.
Trevor is played by Craig Roberts and I'm finding it hard to judge his acting, because I have little experience of knowing people who suffer with that disease and I don't want to offend anyone by saying it he was amazing. I can, however, comment on his character, who is sarcastic to the highest degree, pessimistic yet humorous will it and quite the challenging person to care for.
Paul Rudd is an absolute treat to watch as the struggling carer Ben Benjamin who's lack of experience doesn't match his perseverance of getting the job done. The chemistry between the two is touching and balanced, especially when Benjamin manages to convince Trevor's overprotective mother to allow them to take a road trip and strike off a lot of places off of Trevor's bucket list leading onto quite the adventure.
It's a joy to watch their relationship grow and having a few other characters jumping on the band wagon along the way, such as Selena Gomez who plays a rather foul-mouthed free spirit young lady who's not afraid to voice her opinions. It's brutally honest which is refreshing and highly entertaining as egos and morals clash in the van.
Impressively shot in only 26 days, it actually feels a lot longer than the 97minute running which is actually a good thing. It's doesn't drag at all as there's plenty going on. It's an often humorous, yet touching and thought-provoking story where all the characters get an education in life, changing their perspectives.
It's a heartwarming, joyful journey with it's expected bumps along the way but coming to a lovely conclusion, certainly one of Netflix's must sees.
Running Time: 9
The Cast: 8
Performance: 9
Direction: 8
Story: 9
Script: 9
Creativity: 8
Soundtrack: 7
Job Description: 8
The Extra Bonus Point: 10 for such a refreshing and slightly awkward road trip.
Would I buy the Blu-ray?: Yes, would go next to films like 50/50 and Edge of Seventeen.
85% 9/10
