ME AND GIRL AND THE AND DYING GIRL

US, 2015, 103 minutes, Colour.
Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal, Katherine C. Hughes.
Directed by Alphonso Gomez- Rejon.

This is a very likeable film and won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival. It also won an ecumenical award.

It is also a very film-friendly story and treatment, the director, Alphonso Gomez (Vertigo)! And there are quite a few entertaining snippets. And another enjoyable feature is the action going into animation at various times, amusing as well as concentrating the audience attention onto the characters and what is happening to them.

Perhaps this review has been a bit remiss in focusing on the film and cinema buff aspects of the screenplay instead of indicating what the title has highlighted, that the hero is Greg (Me), along with his good friend, Earl, and the dying girl, yes, she is dying of leukaemia, Rachel. These characters are very well played, especially by Thomas Mann as Greg. RC Cyler is the African-American? Earl, from a neighbourhood that seems on the wrong side of the tracks. And Olivia Cooke is charming as Rachel.

The film has many of the characteristics of the teen movie, especially the high school movie, since the three central characters are still at school, specialise in film studies, hoping to get good results to go to college. They are especially friendly with their history teacher (with clips and quotes from Werner Hertzog and Klaus Kinski), played by Jon Bernthal. And, they are pushed around by the local bullies.

Greg’s mother has a phone call from Rachel’s mother (Connie Britton and Molly Shannon) and Greg’s mother thinks he ought to go to visit the sick Rachel. He eventually does and finds himself in a rather awkward situation, but perseveres, a lot of silences initially, but Rachel liking him, he becoming more talkative and listening, and friendship is established – to her amusement with those funny little films, and his deciding to make a film especially for her. Reassuring us that Rachel is to recover…

One of the charms of the film is also the fact that each section is captioned, from Greg’s point of view, indicating his feelings for this particular part of the story, and enumerating the number of days into his ‘doomed relationship’ with Rachel.

While the story is that of Greg, and secondly that of Earl who also becomes a good friend to Rachel, falls out at one stage with Greg, the two are reconciled through Rachel’s good graces.

In the meantime, Rachel’s leukaemia is becoming more threatening, her head shaved, she becomes a more gaunt, is growing weaker. Greg spends much of his time with Rachel, to the neglect of his studies, and, while he was accepted into College, his increasingly poor results mean that he may not be accepted – and there is a fine, sympathetic intervention by Rachel, highlighting how important Greg support of her really was.

While the school scenes are familiar in a way, the whole story and the setting of terminal leukaemia gives the film a quite different impetus and emotional impact. The central characters perform well and there are interesting performances from Connie Britton as the pressurising mother, Nick Offerman as Greg’s academic father (with a lot of free time without bothering to get dressed) and Molly Shannon as the Jewish mother, emotional and demonstrably affectionate.

This is one of the best films about young people with terminal illness, a comparison would be the young adult novel and film by John Green, The Fault in our Stars. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl has a much broader appeal and dramatic effect.

The appeal to a wide audience? The young adult novel? The response of older audiences, younger audiences, teenagers? The film and its awards?

1. The adaptation of the novel, the characters, the situations, the feel of a young girl with cancer, dying, family response, friends responses?

2. The captions, Greg’s story, the dialogue, the emphasis on the movies, the titles of the home-made movies and their humour, the various clips, the interviews with Werner Hertzog, Klaus Kinski? An entertaining film for film buffs?

3. The American town, homes, school, classes, the neighbourhoods, hospitals? The feel of the place was? The musical score?

4. The title, the tone? Greg’s story? His explanations, the captions and his tone of voice in explaining each phase of the story?

5. The chapters, personal, Greg and his involvement with Rachel, the cinema references, focus on himself and his mother, his father, Earl and his friendship, Earl’s background? Rachel, illness, the relationship, doomed? His saying that she would recover – and the audience knowing that he was not telling the truth?

6. Greg, his character, his parents, his father lecturing, at home, in his dressing gown? His mother, earnest, talking over him, the information about Rachel, the pressure? His focus on his studies and his college hopes? At school, the teacher, the film discussions, Werner Hertzog? In the room with Earl and the teacher? The discussions with the teacher, trying out his food – and blaming it on the drug high, but realising that the dealer had sold himself and Earl drugs?

7. Earl, his family, friendship with Greg, sharing, the projects? The many films made together, and the funny parody titles? Earl and his family background? The friendship with Rachel? The bullies at school, the fights, Earl defending Greg? Their personal clash, Rachel bringing them back together, apologies, reconciliation?

8. Rachel, her age, friends at school, Madison? The news about her cancer? At home? Her mother contacting Greg’s mother? Greg coming, on the staircase, awkward, agreeing that he could visit, Greg and his attempts at coping, the silences, beginning to talk, the news, school? Discussions with Rachel’s mother? The Jewish background? Her affectionate expressions?

9. The progress of the year, Greg and his visits, the bond and friendship, talking, the movies, making the special film for Rachel, the black humour about her illness?

10. Greg and his studies, neglecting them, intentions to go to college? Star student, then failing, discussions with the authorities?

11. The effect of the year on Greg? Opening his emotions? Support for Rachel? Shaving her head? Getting sicker?

12. Earl and his support, clash with Greg, reconciliation?

13. Rachel’s death, everyone sad, sadness for the audience?

14. Rachel and her intervention about Greg and his care, urging the college authorities to let Greg go? Her final letter to him?

15. A wisely emotional film? Unafraid to focus on the realities of death?