This charming adventure film follows the story of Zak (played by Zack Gottsagen), a 22 year old boy who because of his Down's syndrome and lack of a family to care for him lives in a residential nursing home. One night Zak escapes the nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. After escaping he meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a fisherman on the run who befriends him, cares for him and coaches him towards his wrestling dream. Whilst on their journey Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a social worker, who cared and befriended Zak in the care home attempts to track him down and bring him back.
This film does have its cliches, however, because of the endearing nature of the character of Zak and the charming relationships in this film it actually is a powerful presentation of how we shouldn't treat people differently because of their disabilities.
The casting for this film in my opinion is perfect with Zack Gottsagen brilliantly portraying the sweet, funny and endearing character of Zak; his acting makes the audience really care about his journey and admire his strength to never give up. The role of Zak was specifically written for Zack Gottsagen after the writer and directors Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz saw his talent at a camp for actors with disabilities. Shia Labeouf's acting is wonderful as a kind of older brother for Zak and also within his relationship and chemistry with Eleanor, the social worker.
Tension is included in this film to add an extra level to their journey, as two men are chasing Tyler in search of their money that he owes them which brings a feeling of danger to the film. The main beauty behind this film is the relationship between Tyler and Zak as they keep each other safe and discover strengths about themselves that they never knew they had. Straight away after meeting each other Tyler never patronises Zak and treats him exactly the same as he would anyone, showing that their bond can only get stronger. The Peanut Butter Falcon portrays that we should help our friends achieve their goals and not tell them it's a fantasy, just like Tyler who promises to take Zak to the wrestling camp and does all he can to never go back on his word.
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