Movie Review

The Peanut Butter Falcon is grounded by earnest but inept filmmaking

Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf in The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Photo by Seth Johnson; courtesy of Roadside Attractions and Armory Films

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a unique film in that its star, Zack Gottsagen, has Down syndrome, and because the two directors/writers, Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz, made the movie specifically for their friend to be given an opportunity that would otherwise be unlikely. You’d have to be one hard-hearted person not to be moved just by those circumstances.

Gottsagen plays Zak, a ward of the state of North Carolina who’s forced to live in a retirement home because it can provide the best care for him. He longs to escape, though, specifically to a wrestling school farther south run by The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Aided by his roommate Carl (Bruce Dern), he makes a break for it, soon running into Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who’s on the lam for a completely different reason.

Tyler agrees to help Zak get to the wrestling school, and the two are soon trekking their way through fields and on rivers to make their way there. On their trail is Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), who looks after Zak at the retirement home, and Duncan (John Hawkes), a fisherman who has a beef with Tyler.

The biggest reason the film works to any degree is the performances of and chemistry between Gottsagen and LaBeouf. Gottsagen has an affability and charm that is immediately apparent, and it becomes even more so after he teams up with LaBeouf. Unlike most other characters, Tyler treats Zak with respect, and LaBeouf’s performance is the lynchpin for making the character and relationship believable.

What becomes very clear as the film goes along, however, is the lack of experience of the filmmakers. The journey of Zak and Tyler is haphazard at best, giving them no clear direction. As a consequence, they meet up with other characters at random, with little or no connection between how any of them got to that particular place. It’s a shortcut way of filmmaking that’s big on significant moments but very light on narrative coherence.

For a film led by first-time feature filmmakers, it’s absolutely bonkers how many well-known people are in it. In addition to the five actors in the main cast, veteran wrestlers Mick Foley and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and rapper Yelawolf all make appearances. Jon Bernthal, who’s arguably the best actor in the cast, was somehow convinced to show up for a non-speaking role as Tyler’s brother, Mark, a move that makes zero sense for either the filmmakers or Bernthal.

There’s never a point in The Peanut Butter Falcon where you’re not rooting for Zak to succeed, but the film as a whole doesn’t come close to delivering the emotional release it needs.

Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife

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