‘Will & Harper’ humorously goes ‘trans’ continental
Like his alter ego Ron Burgundy, you can count on Will Ferrell “to stay classy,” even when taking on something as tricky as gender affirmation. I’d go so far as to say that with the emotionally charged “Will & Harper,” he’s at his classiest, even while wearing only a Speedo. That’s because this time it’s personal, very personal.
No, it’s not Ferrell coming out as a woman. But it is one of his BFF’s in former “SNL” head writer Andrew Steele, who at the age of 61 has opted to metamorphose into Harper Steele. It was an overnight decision six decades in the making to stop “living a lie.” Almost nonchalantly, Steele announces it to his friends and family via a blast email that reaches Ferrell in Boston, where he is on location filming “Spirited” with Ryan Reynolds.
Naturally, it comes as a complete shock. But even more, it causes Ferrell to question how Steele’s transition will affect their 27-year friendship. To find out, Ferrell proposes that the two drive cross country, from NYC to L.A., and in the process attempt to destigmatize a besieged, vastly misunderstood segment of society.
The result is a funny, illuminating journey that is supercharged by the delight of observing longtime pals redefining not just a friendship, but also how they perceive themselves. The only challenge is, will people watch, especially the haters, whom the film seeks to reach? Having the wildly popular Ferrell riding shotgun certainly helps. But at the same time hurts, because his constant presence – in addition to the cameras – tends to temper the most perilous encounters with the unenlightened.
Thus, what “Will & Harper” reveals is far from an accurate depiction of how welcoming Americans are to the trans community. It is, however, how the more open-minded folks wish it were. The two compadres are confronted by the ugly reality when they unwittingly put themselves on display inside an Amarillo steakhouse. What was an intended fun night on the town, with Ferrell dressed as Sherlock Holmes, quickly deteriorates into fodder for a flurry of hate tweets. The impact reduces the perpetually jovial Ferrell to tears, with one deranged poster labeling him a “satanic Illuminati pedophile.”
That’s appalling, but it’s the only point in the film’s fast-moving 115 minutes that you sense any impending danger. The rest encompasses the occasional rube addressing Steele as “sir” and the predictable side-glances by curious wait staff. Most of what is captured by cinematographer Zoë White leans toward the lighter side, including running gags about Pringles and Ferrell’s insatiable hankering for Dunkin’ Donuts. There’s karaoke, of course, with Ferrell, Steele and another trans woman joining forces to croon “I’ve Got You, Babe.” A little on the nose, if you ask me.
Mostly, though, director Josh Greenbaum (“Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar”) sticks to the strengthing alliance between Ferrell and Steele as Harper rediscovers America through the eyes of the woman she always longed to be. Between stop-offs at a Pacers game in Indianapolis and a dirt track race in Oklahoma, sipping brewskies on the rim of the Grand Canyon and visiting Steele’s one-time secret lair in the Mojave Desert, Farrell peppers Harper with many of the same questions that we have. Like, what made Harper decide to make the change now?
It’s the answers that grip you, with one wrenching tale after another revealing an unfulfilling existence plagued by dark thoughts and contemplations of suicide. Ferrell winningly reacts with the utmost compassion, empathy, and when it calls for it, humor – including a dip in a hotel pool in the aforementioned Speedo.
We also hear from nearly a dozen “SNL” vets, most notably Will Forte – with whom Ferrell and Steele take a hilarious balloon ride over Albuquerque – and Kristen Wiig, who auspiciously answers the call to co-write and perform the movie’s theme song, a most clever ditty featuring the line “like Thelma and Louis – but with a lot less death.”
I can’t think of a more apt encapsulation, other than the adjunct that “Will & Harper” is one of the best “buddy” movies you’re likely to see. There are no chases or explosions – unless you count the buckets of fireworks the two chums set off in the Mojave. In their stead are dozens of tear-inducing moments, as we witness not just the transition of a man into a woman, but the transformation of an old friendship into a newly discovered incarnation, one based entirely on openness and honesty. Just as it should be, for them and everyone, trans or straight.
Movie review
Will & Harper
Rated: R for language
Cast: Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Colin Jost, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon and Seth Meyers
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Runtime: 115 minutes
Where: In theaters Sept. 13 before debuting on Netflix on Sept. 27
Grade: B+
