I think I can say that most of us have all gone through the emotional puke that teenager-ship is, from the highs of new experiences (and probably real drugs for some of us), to the lows of heart break. We've experienced the sweet, heart-thumping success of the times we've been able to get away with defying our parents and the emotional shelter found when we realized how much we needed them. How about the mind-numbing and uselessly tedious schoolwork, or the mental strain of finding ways to pass all that time we no longer have? How about the richness of a good batch of breakfast waffles?
Wait, what, I was probably on some sort of roll there.
It is no secret these selections from the chocolate box of life are what writers use to structure the backbone of our most memorable (and non-memorable too) coming of age films. Movies like "The Breakfast Club," or "Perks of Being a Wallflower," or even "Role Models" all chronicle the life of those youthful whippersnappers (I say entering my final two months of being a literal-by-the-numbers teen) coming to terms with themselves.
If you're a fan of those kinds of movies you will be tickled to hear another one is upon us. Another memorable one at that. It is called "The Fundamentals of Caring," and it can be seen on your TV/computer/smartphone/laptop/etcetera via Netflix.
"Fundamentals" follows the tale of an adult who is deeply traumatized by the loss of his son and who finds himself by getting to know a teenager who is going through issues of his own. Pretty typical, except the adult is played by Paul Rudd and the struggles teenage Trevor (played by a very derisive Craig Roberts) faces is self-acceptance through his disease, duchenne muscular dystrophy (fun fact, it affects every 1 in 3,500 males). It may sound like unrelatable territory, but I promise you it manages to hit you right in the feels. Where is stands alone from the conventional is where it finds its strength (This includes its bouts of dark humor and sarcasm).
We follow the two lead characters as they take an impromptu journey from Seattle across northwestern America. Their intended destination? America's lamest roadside attractions, which include, but are not limited to, the world's biggest bovine (cow) and the world's deepest pit in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along the way, the duo pick up Dot, or Dorothy, played by a surprisingly real and a surprisingly f-bomb loving Selena Gomez. She adds the obligatory romance angle to this film and does a pretty alright job acting as well.
The movie is everything a coming of age story should be and more. It provides a refreshingly realistic take on the genre, and that is directly compensated by the amount of hope we find at the end of the story. This movie also manages to be, not only one of Paul Rudd's funniest films, but one of the funniest ones I have seen in a very long time. The movie is down-right hilarious, but does so well to avoid claiming the designation of a comedy. All around, it is a story about life and what to do with it before the end. "Fundamentals of Caring" is as laugh-out-loud funny as it is heartwarming and caring, and it will be well worth your time to give it a viewing. Oh, and there are also all those other things I mentioned in the beginning.
