What to Watch: Me Earl and the Dying Girl

I was tooling around the other weekend, RICE-ing my foot (ugh, word on the street is it might be broken), and I looked at which movies were available on HBO on demand. As a YA fan, it's kind of surprising that I've never read this book, but I have to say, the movie was really moving. It had me in tears and I thought it was so enthralling.

It came out about a year ago but I didn't recognize any of the actors except Connie Britton (such a fan), but it piqued my interest so I went for it. I'm so glad I did. And I'm so glad that I had a box of tissues at the ready. It was funny, clever, sad, and uplifting. It was about high school friendships, the awkward years, navigating social groups in school, and how, in the end of it all, only the friendships that matter, matter.


About (from YouTube):
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL is the uniquely funny, moving story of Greg (Thomas Mann), a high school senior who is trying to blend in anonymously, avoiding deeper relationships as a survival strategy for navigating the social minefield that is teenage life.  He even describes his constant companion Earl (RJ Cyler), with whom he makes short film parodies of classic movies, as more of a 'co-worker’ than a best friend. But when Greg’s mom (Connie Britton) insists he spend time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke) – a girl in his class who has just been diagnosed with cancer - he slowly discovers how worthwhile the true bonds of friendship can be. It wasn't satirical like Clueless, it wasn't idealized like 10 Things I Hate About You or any of those 90s flicks, it's a little closer to The Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink, but it deals with heavier stuff. I highly recommend it.

Watch the trailer here, and watch it on HBO, or get it on Amazon.