Filmic Friday 245: The Fundamentals of Caring

In Which I Talk About A Really Good Movie Based On A Really Good Book

The first thing I'd like to say is this:

I don't like comedies.

While, yes, one of my favorite horror films, House II, is a "horror comedy", and while, yes, many of the movies I like in general are comedic, Comedy as a genre is not my bag.

I probably don't like your favorite comedy movie. Sorry. It's not necessarily that most comedy is "bad" - it's just not funny to me.

The Fundamentals of Caring, however, is amazing.

It's also not really a comedy, but "drama" has come to mean "incredibly depressing movie about terrible things with no relief in sight", so this movie gets saddled with "comedy" in its description.

Any movie that uses a bold chartreuse background will get my attention.

True fact: my partner has been trying to get me to watch this movie since it came out. Why? Because we're both hot for Paul Rudd. Lol. No.

It's because this movie with its stupid title (and I stand by that statement, that's a dumb, clunky title) are based on a wonderful book by an amazing author named Jonathan Evison.

Look how much better a title that is!

Now, I'll be honest with you, I have not read the book myself, but my partner loves to read me passages from books that are good, and I'm pretty sure I ended up having 3/4 of this book read to me aloud. That tends to happen with Evison novels, I've noticed.

They're just that good!

And what is The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving/The Fundamentals of Caring about?

It's about loss, moving on, and Paul Rudd playing an avatar of Jonathan Evison.

While true, that last one is my attempt at a joke. Sorry. Lol.

This is the story of a man (Benjamin Benjamin, played by Paul Rudd), a disabled teenager (Trevor, played by Craig Roberts), and a giant hole in the ground. Trevor suffers from muscular dystrophy and requires a caregiver. He doesn't leave the house. He doesn't do much besides watch tv and be a total dick.

Enter Benjamin Benjamin. Ben was a writer once, but he's trying to duck divorce papers from his estranged wife, and he dreams of better times. I'm told that his tragedy is even more horrific in the book, by the way, so invest in tissues if you pick both book and film up for a weekend. Ben seemingly decides that one of the best ways to avoid his own problems is to pour himself into  someone else's troubles.

His first assignment is Trevor.

It... doesn't go very well at first, since Trevor has no respect for anyone and is generally a huge dick to everyone and everything, but Benjamin Benjamin's desire to avoid divorce proves too strong. Also, y'know, he legitimately cares about Trevor, despite Trevor's best efforts.

Eventually, Ben realized that Trevor may end up dying without having ever experienced anything, so he convinces Trevor's mother (played by Jennifer Ehle) to let him take Trevor on a road trip to see all of the things Trevor has been fascinated by on tv, culminating in a visit to the World's Deepest Hole.

And it goes... great...

Along the way, of course, things happen, and because it's a road trip movie, they get into wacky situations and prank each other (and if you just see a reel of the pranks, you'll think this is a step short of a dang snuff film, but they're vicious for funsies, and both know what they're getting into)... and they pick up hitchhikers.

Two young lady hitchhikers, in fact.

The first hitcher they end up with is Dot, a tough teenage traveler played by Selena Gomez. Dot and Trevor eventually develop an adorable relationship which both know cannot last. Dot fits into the duet of Trevor and Benjamin like a glove, meeting every joke and jab with one of her own, adding a sense of wry, hilariously bitter commentary into the mix as only a girl who seems to be a mix of a biker and Daria could pull off.

Dot travels most of the way with the pair, but about 2/3 of the way to the Hole, they find sweet, innocent, very pregnant Peaches (Megan Ferguson). Peaches is the best foil because at first she seems completely naive and incapable of keeping up with the swirling morass of bitter-but-lovable jerks she's found herself surrounded by, but it quickly becomes obvious that she is more than capable of taking care of herself and everyone else as well. She is their sage, but she also gives them a strong urge to protect her, even Trevor, who is uncharacteristically gentle with her. She brings out their best.

The movie is about a bunch of misfits finding their way in the world. It's about strangers coming together. It's about temporary truces and love and loss. It's about peeing standing up and giant holes in the ground. It's about learning when to let go and when to hold on.

It's so much more than a comedy.

But it's also flipping hilarious.

Almost every scene that isn't about dying and loss (and even some that are) has at least something funny in it. You'll certainly never look at breakfast or Slim-Jims the same way, and if you're a vertical-pee-er, you'll probably have a newfound appreciation of that skill when you're finished.

In short, The Fundamentals of Caring is a fantastic film, and I love that, while it does have a "happy" ending, it's not a perfect one. No one is miraculously cured, there's no sudden revelation that Ben Benjamin is actually Trevor's dad, Peaches doesn't adopt them all (though I doubt anyone would object - she's a treasure), and while there is some healing in some of the relationships throughout the movie, the letting go of a dead relationship is celebrated, finally, as the healthy thing it is.

Poignant, funny, and incredibly well-written, The Fundamentals of Caring is definitely something to watch on Netflix whenever you get a chance.

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