Will & Harper

Beyond the humor and pathos, Will & Harper is a touching and heartfelt exploration of friendship.

Not many friendships are tested because somebody decides to dress up as a literary detective in public. But it’s refreshing, in a way, that Will & Harper doesn’t try so hard to trumpet relatability. It doesn’t need to. Its heart remains true.

If there’s one thing we can take away from Will & Harper, it’s that transitioning and allyship can both save lives.

There’s an optimism here that coexists with humor, joy, sadness, and more than one laugh-out-loud moment.

Although this is the antithesis of a fly-on-the-wall chronicle, what with Will Ferrell being WILL FERRELL, it’s still an emotionally honest and deeply moving look at two friends bonding after one of them has found the courage to be her true self.

The cushioning effect of Ferrell’s celebrity and, judging by the closing credit list, an extensive and well-funded production team, mean that while this is a likable-enough film, it is an insulated and artificial construction.

It’s a generous, sensitive study of allyship and what that really means in the day-to-day with Ferrell working out in different, often potentially dangerous, situations how to do the right thing.

It's a really nice story of friendship. Nice to see a story from a trans woman's point of view. More of this kind of thing please.

As a road-movie it works quite well, especially because of the way it discusses topics such as friendship, acceptance and tolerance. Will Ferrell unrecognizable in one of his best roles.

Friendship is one of those subjects that doesn’t receive nearly enough attention in the movies. Yet, when we look at the many different forms it can take, it certainly provides plenty of fodder for engaging storytelling, given that it’s a topic we can all ultimately relate to. Films that explore particularly fascinating examples of this are among the best, as is the case with the latest documentary release from director Josh Greenbaum, a road trip/“buddy” movie about the friendship between actor Will Ferrell and comedy writer Harper Steele. The longtime friends met years ago when they worked together on Saturday Night Live, but things were somewhat different at that time: Harper was Andrew back then, but he had been quietly harboring feelings about what it would be like to transition to become a woman. After years of hiding this consuming secret, in 2020, Andrew made the decision to step forward and become Harper, a revelation she candidly announced in a heartrending message to Ferrell and other familars. The announcement admittedly came as a surprise to Ferrell, but, given that Steele was his long-tenured compadre, he was naturally supportive. Simultaneously, though, he also wondered, how would a change like this impact the nature of their friendship? They were long accustomed to doing all kinds of “guy things” together, but could that continue with this fundamental shift in their circumstances? That’s what Ferrell wanted to find out, so the duo elected to embark on a 16-day cross-country journey from New York to Los Angeles, with a variety of stops in between. The trip provided an opportunity to see how they could relate to one another under the conditions of this new paradigm, as well as for Harper to see if she could still comfortably enjoy and safely participate in the same kinds of activities she engaged in when she still self-identified as a man. The result is an insightful and touching exploration of finding a new friend in an old companion, examining how things have evolved while at the same time being fundamentally unchanged. Along the way, Will and Harper meet up with family, friends, strangers, transgender activists and former colleagues, such as Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Kristin Wiig and Lorne Michaels. The picture also delves into the varying attitudes and levels of acceptance transgender individuals encounter in their new lives, some decidedly uplifting and others stressfully agonizing, and not always in line with expectations. “Will & Harper” is thus a heartfelt celebration of friendship with moments that are touching, emotional, funny, silly and revelatory, presenting a wide range of feelings all wrapped up in one affecting package – not unlike what happens in the relationships between all longtime pals. Just because some things change, that doesn’t mean that everything else necessarily has to follow suit, no matter how dramatic the shift may be. But isn’t that what solid friendships are supposed to be all about?

Em ano de eleições presidenciais nos EUA, Will Ferrel empresta seu carisma e sua meia idade para acompanhar sua amiga recém transacionada, a trans Harper Steele, em uma roda trip por confins texanos e afins, lidando com uma transfobia que só não foi maior por conta da figura do Ferrel e das câmeras. É interessante ver a desconstrução do astro, bem como o mergulho interno do peso que é ser uma pessoa trans. Além da identidade de gênero, há também uma discussão geracional aqui, e tudo isso num caldeirão político que põe em evidência o preconceito social de uma sociedade inteira que se vê ali, em confronto consigo mesmo. Bola dentro da Netflix.

Before Harper Steele transitioned as a woman, she was a longtime writer on SNL, where she became good friends with Will Ferrell. This doc chronicles their journey around the country as they visit dive bars and other venues to see how she fits in and how she feels about it. The promise of 2 funny people on a road trip should provide humor along with the serious discussions. Unfortunately, this is almost devoid of any genuine laughs, because most of the time is spent in their earnest dialogue. Even the brief appearances of other SNL alum like Kristen Wiig, Molly Shannon and Seth Meyers don't add much more than encouragement. Of course, transgender identity is worth attention, but the film spends much more time repeating the same information and issues. This examination of a friendship is heartfelt, but this film is more message than fun. [usr =2.5]