Tanya’s Score: Good-and-a-half*
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Sonny Crockett’s spawn; the cuter Affleck brother; Marshall Eriksen
Plot: A true story about a couple struggling to deal with a terminal diagnosis (Dakota Johnson; Casey Affleck) and their best friend (Jason Segel) who dropped everything to help them through it.
Tanya’s Verdict: This tear jerker/heartwarming/funny movie is based upon an article written by the real life Matthew Teague (played by Affleck). There is a bit of jumpiness in terms of timeline that I found distracting at first as well as a couple of scenes that felt contrived and not organic to the movie’s flow. But this is where my criticism ends.
One scene in particular – caught me off guard in how it depicts the power of human connection. It involves Dane (Segel) hiking on his own and meeting a German traveller along the way. This part of the movie more than made up for anything I felt seemed contrived or awkward. It was a subtle and unexpected way to illustrate Dane’s personal struggles while also reminding us that human connection is really the only thing that matters in our lives.
At first glance, Our Friend may appear to be a movie about a slow spiral toward death and how a family struggles to accept this harsh reality, but that’s not really what it’s about at all.
It’s about friendship. A real friendship that not everyone is lucky enough to experience in their lifetime. A friendship that loves unconditionally; that gives all else up for nothing but selfless reasons. While Our Friend does focus on a life and death battle, it also dissects a different kind of battle – one faced by a man who may seem aimless and maybe even a little lost – who makes sacrifices no one asks him to or even expects of him – all in the name of friendship.
Family is important – but in this film, family remains in the periphery and friendship is the star.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great