Will & Harper

As is likely the case with many of the remaining reviews for the year, this will be a quick one, particularly because it's the middle of the week. I've seen some fun trailers for Will & Harper, and heard good word of mouth, but lost track of when it releases and was pleasantly surprised to see it on Netflix last weekend. 

Will & Harper is not a Will Ferrell comedy - though I did laugh a good deal - but rather a documentary. While establishing his career on SNL, Ferrell and head SNL writer, Andrew Steele, became strong friends. Even beyond SNL, Steele went on to be part of some of Ferrell's bigger movie productions as a writer. Perhaps maybe my favorite example of their partnership was Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (yes, it's as ridiculous as it sounds). 

Our film opens with Ferrell explaining their history and then reading an incredibly vulnerable note from his friend Andrew, who has now transitioned to being a trans woman, Harper Steele. Harper explains to Will the "why" and how long she has been feeling this way, and hopes that he'll still be one of her closest friends. Now, there will be those of you that read that sentence and say "Oh my God. Forget it!" -> Bye! For those of you still with us, it's this intro and striking vulnerability, coupled with Ferrell's clear "out of water" demeanor that set a fantastic tone for this documentary. It's clear Ferrell hasn't encountered this before and while supportive of his friend, doesn't know how to interact with her. Questions around if she's even his friend anymore, if it's a different person, etc. are all ones he asks aloud, encouraging us to be in the discomfort with him. 

As someone who has never experienced a loved one coming out as trans, it gripped me with its sincerity. Will decides that he will go on a road trip across America with Harper, as previously-Andrew is someone who loved to drive across the country and experience it by himself. Harper would like to do the same, but is scared to do so after the transition. If nothing else, Will & Harper is about the power of having a really good, supportive friend, but there's a lot more to it than that. 

Will & Harper is a well done, and respectful, dissection of not only someone's decision to make a transition, but also how they interact with the people they knew from their previous "self" and vice versa. It doesn't shy away from the awkwardness, not only in personal moments between Will and her, in which she encourages him to ask any and every question, but also moments out in public. It's hard to see how society still "bristles" in certain areas when they know someone is trans (Amarillo, TX...you do not come away from this film looking great). Along the way, both Will and Harper learn to recement their friendship, probably stronger than ever before. 

There's solid doses of humor throughout without ever stealing from the more difficult moments. Will's obsession with Dunkin Donuts is a recurring theme and some of his questions are clearly to get a rise "So now that you're a woman, are you a worse driver?". But it's also striking to see Ferrell, usually the lovable, crazy goofball, tearing up because he feels scared for his friend or feels like he should have done more in a public setting. Will & Harper is just as heartwarming as it is funny, often using the humor to ease into, but never taking away from the difficulty that is making a transition decision. 

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 8/10