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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
A forgotten treasure from 2015, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is an edgy and intelligent comedy drama that takes the viewer through a myriad of emotions vicarious memories before leaving a serious lump in the throat.
The film introduces us to Greg, a smart, savvy, and sensitive high school kid whose passion is making parodies of classic movies with Earl, his "co-worker", who he has known since they small children. Greg's mother gently pushes him into spending time with a schoolmate named Rachel, who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. This time turns into what Greg terms a "doomed friendship", but this journey becomes a rich and rewarding experience for both of them.
Screenwriter Jesse Andrews has done the impossible by creating a story that simultaneously unfolds slowly but never stops its forward motion. I love the opening scenes of Greg explaining his high school survival techniques by becoming mildly acquainted with ALL of the school cliques. The opening scenes of Greg and Rachel's first meetings dancing around each other exploring boundaries are squirm-worthy as they should be but Greg makes the inspired decision to have Earl accompany him on this journey and Earl's lack of concern regarding boundaries breaks down a lot of walls between Rachel and Greg.
Needless to say, the ending is a foregone conclusion but neither the screenplay or the characters ever allow us to believe that. There is actually a moment at the end of the second act where Greg assures us that Rachel is not going to die and the sincerity in his voice makes us believe him. Loved Greg's narration of this story...haven't enjoyed a movie narration this much since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Also loved the finale where Greg goes into Rachel's room and discovers what she has done to all of her books.
Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is to be applauded for the imagination utilized in mounting this take, including striking camera work, some inventive and offbeat music, and some claymation fantasy sequences used to illustrate some of Greg's survival techniques. Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, and Olivia Cooke light up the screen as Greg, Earl and Rachel, respectively. Mention should also be made of Connie Britton and Nick Offerman as Greg's parents and Molly Shannon as Rachel's mom. An extraordinary film journey that is not as predictable as the storyline suggests.
A forgotten treasure from 2015, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is an edgy and intelligent comedy drama that takes the viewer through a myriad of emotions vicarious memories before leaving a serious lump in the throat.
The film introduces us to Greg, a smart, savvy, and sensitive high school kid whose passion is making parodies of classic movies with Earl, his "co-worker", who he has known since they small children. Greg's mother gently pushes him into spending time with a schoolmate named Rachel, who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. This time turns into what Greg terms a "doomed friendship", but this journey becomes a rich and rewarding experience for both of them.
Screenwriter Jesse Andrews has done the impossible by creating a story that simultaneously unfolds slowly but never stops its forward motion. I love the opening scenes of Greg explaining his high school survival techniques by becoming mildly acquainted with ALL of the school cliques. The opening scenes of Greg and Rachel's first meetings dancing around each other exploring boundaries are squirm-worthy as they should be but Greg makes the inspired decision to have Earl accompany him on this journey and Earl's lack of concern regarding boundaries breaks down a lot of walls between Rachel and Greg.
Needless to say, the ending is a foregone conclusion but neither the screenplay or the characters ever allow us to believe that. There is actually a moment at the end of the second act where Greg assures us that Rachel is not going to die and the sincerity in his voice makes us believe him. Loved Greg's narration of this story...haven't enjoyed a movie narration this much since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Also loved the finale where Greg goes into Rachel's room and discovers what she has done to all of her books.
Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is to be applauded for the imagination utilized in mounting this take, including striking camera work, some inventive and offbeat music, and some claymation fantasy sequences used to illustrate some of Greg's survival techniques. Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, and Olivia Cooke light up the screen as Greg, Earl and Rachel, respectively. Mention should also be made of Connie Britton and Nick Offerman as Greg's parents and Molly Shannon as Rachel's mom. An extraordinary film journey that is not as predictable as the storyline suggests.