ME & EARL & THE DYING GIRL (review)

Review by Stefan Blitz

A truly touching and emotionally resonant film, Me & Earl & The Dying Girl only stumbles when it dangerously tries to too hard to be quirky and irreverent. 

Fortunately, it’s honesty, genuine charm and inspired take on the teen cancer genre make it one of the year’s best.

High school senior Greg Gaines (Mann) has struggled most of his life to stay under the radar, never committing to any single social group. 

His only friend (who he calls his co-worker) since childhood is Earl (Cyler II).

Earl has spent much of his life growing up in the Gaines household, where he and Greg are introduced to films, foods and other ephemera via Mr. Gaines (Offerman). 

Together, Greg and Earl make short parody films, often based on art house films which look very similar to the work of Wes Anderson’s Max Fisher character in Rushmore mashed up with the sweded films of Be Kind Rewind.

Greg’s mother (Britton) asks him to spend some time with classmate, Rachel Kushner (Cooke), who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.  The two become close and Greg for the first time, strives not to be invisible to this one person, having let someone in for the first time in his life.

I honestly don’t want to go further into the plot, but director Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Andrews (adapting his own book), do craft a film with some real emotions and fantastic performances.

My own mother battled cancer this past year and seeing Rachel’s struggle with both being sick and the side-effects of the chemo triggered an emotional sense memory for me while watching it. Olivia Cooke delivers a raw, honest and memorable performance.

Me & Earl & The Dying Girl is a sweet, funny smart and sad film about friendship, life, death and growing up. Highly recommended.