Under the heading of "Local Lad Does Good" we present Peanut Butter Falcon.
Co-written and co-directed by Tyler Nilson who was raised on Colington Island with Mark Schwartz, Peanut Butter Falcon tells a wonderful story of family, love and the human spirit.
The Outer Banks premier was this weekend and we had a chance to see the film. The reviews of the film have been remarkably positive and after seeing it, there is no doubt about why the national press has been so good.
Zak is a 22 year-old with Down Syndrome. His family will not care for him and he is a ward of the state, housed in a senior citizen home. Played to Zack Gottsagen, who is an actor who has Down Syndrome has the role of Zak and he is fantastice. The story focuses on relationship with Tyler (Shia LaBoeuf), a troubled character with his own demons.
Although filmed in Georgia, there are repeated references to the Outer Banks. Kind of fun from a local perspective.
But whether it references the Outer Banks, Georgia, Florida, or any other place, the reason to see this film is because of how good it is.
This is a heartwarming, incredibly uplifting tale of what it means to run toward something instead of running away from something.
Zak wants two things in life--his freedom and to be a professional wrestler. His goal is to take lessons from his hero, Salt Water Redneck. He knows about Redneck from an old VHS tape he plays over and over, much to the dismay of his roommate, Bruce Dern.
After repeated attempts to escape, bars are fitted into his window, but Dern pries them open with sheets, explaining that at one time he was an engineer. Covered in soap, Zak squirts to freedom wearing nothing but his underwear.
Hiding under a tarp in Tyler's boat, he and Tyler find themselves on the run together.
Zak is pursued by Dakota Johnson, his caretaker at the facility. Tyler is being chased by a pair of brothers who are pretty ticked off that he torched their crab pots. There was a reason for the act, although justification seems a bit hard to come by.
The journey the two take becomes a voyage of discovery as the two deal with their personal demons and learn to focus on what can be accomplished.
It is a great movie. Be sure to see it.
Check out Peanut Butter Falcon then come to the Outer Banks and see if you can find all the references. Stay at a Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates home while doing that. The experience will be even better.
