Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a sweet little indie film about a high-school senior named Greg (Thomas Mann) who operates on the fringes, absent any group attachments or activities to challenge the loser view he harbors of himself. When his mother
(Connie Britton) insists he call Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a girl in his class
who's been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he's horrified. He doesn't know Rachel,
so what does he say to her? Absurd. No way. Finally, he makes the call to get
Mom off his back, but fails to ask Rachel if she'd like to get together, which
was the purpose of the call. Now Mom demands another call and Greg retreats, crawling
to his room and slamming the door shut.
Based on a young adult novel, this character is so believable and understated that I was sure I knew him, his buddy, Earl (RJ Cyler), whom he's known since childhood, and even Rachel (Olivia Cooke). To idle away their time, the boys are cinema buffs and amateur filmmakers who create their own comical versions of movies they've seen. They concoct ludicrous but clever graphics, stories, and sets for short scenes and takes in their makeshift home studio, abandoned lots, and other odd spots.
When Greg and Rachel meet for the first time at her house, Greg confesses the only reason he's there is because his mom made him visit her. Rachel lays down the rules -- no pity or sympathy allowed. Greg
obliges and contorts into a goofy, twisted awkwardness to make her laugh. The two continue to hang out, and Rachel soon meets Earl, the foil for Greg's self-deprecating comments, and the
source of irresistible comic relief in the biracial friendship.
There is SO MUCH to love about this little film, with an ending that still surprises in the face of predictability. Similar to the female characters who deal with pending death in The Fault In Our Stars and a post-death situation in If I Stay, Rachel blossoms as an unsentimental realist, more grounded than Greg, who ultimately grows from the friendship. In the end, Greg and Earl offer Rachel a gift of pure joy and compassion spiced with humor and a giant dollop of heart. They won mine in the process.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl hasn't appeared on any list I've seen for upcoming awards shows, but it's firmly on mine, for whatever.
There is SO MUCH to love about this little film, with an ending that still surprises in the face of predictability. Similar to the female characters who deal with pending death in The Fault In Our Stars and a post-death situation in If I Stay, Rachel blossoms as an unsentimental realist, more grounded than Greg, who ultimately grows from the friendship. In the end, Greg and Earl offer Rachel a gift of pure joy and compassion spiced with humor and a giant dollop of heart. They won mine in the process.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl hasn't appeared on any list I've seen for upcoming awards shows, but it's firmly on mine, for whatever.
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