Will Ferrell: "Will and Harper"

"Will and Harper" is an unusual movie because its subjects are constantly aware that they are on camera. It's not as stagey as "reality" television, but it's still stagey.

Because of the cameras, you're frequently wondering if various people are "performing." For example, when the subjects enter certain bars, and they're surprised to find the locals on good behavior, you might ask, Is this plausible reporting? Or are the locals behaving themselves *because* of the cameras?

Also, in the main "conflict" scene, when some Texans behave very badly, I (at least) had a queasy feeling; I felt that the filmmakers were pumping their fists, in triumph. We caught some people acting in a thoughtless way!

That said, the movie has smart moments. In one powerful scene, Harper, the subject of the film, shows her friend a house that she bought. It's in a crummy town in California. Before making a gender transition, Harper had purchased this house as a place to hide; she would go here, and she'd draw the shades, and wear a dress for several hours. As Harper recalls this memory, she bursts into tears; the weight of remembered self-loathing seems overwhelming. This is moving and unfeigned--and it's a useful scene for young viewers (especially).

Another touching scene depicts Harper's friend, Will Ferrell; Will is expressing his discomfort with his own body. He has put on weight. Will says, "The body I'm in is not exactly the body I want." Then, a light seems to get switched on; Will looks at his friend, and it's clear he now understands her in a way he had not before.

This is a flawed, interesting movie. It's worth seeing for Kristen Wiig alone. I will not "spoil" her role.

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