Can we stop at Dunkin’ Donuts?
Main Cast: Will Ferrell, Harper Steele
Director: Josh Greenbaum
I am an unapologetic fan of Will Ferrell, dating all the way back to SNL and Old School. Not everything he makes is great, but he reliably makes me laugh and seems to be a genuinely good guy. Will & Harper is completely different from anything he’s done before and it makes me happy to see him using his industry clout for something so personal and compelling.
Will & Harper is a documentary filmed as Will and his friend, comedy writer Harper Steele, take a cross-country road trip. The two have been friends since the mid-90s (they met while both were working at SNL) and Steele has always loved traveling the country.
This trip is different. It is the first time the pair has been together since Harper completed her gender transition. The film is an intimate look at a friendship, forged over decades, entering a new era. More broadly, it’s also an exploration of Harper’s experience as a trans woman, both before and after her transition.
It’s easy to imagine that Will & Harper has a political agenda. Gender identity has been politicized in the United States to the point where the very real people trying to live their lives have been lost behind a wall of talking heads.
Will & Harper refuses to take that road. Instead, the two get together with family and friends (there are a lot of great cameo appearances), drink beer in a Walmart parking lot, meet a lot of strangers, and Will asks questions.
They are the kind of questions I imagine a lot of people who don’t have a trans friend or family member would like to ask. Harper is very open in her answers, and willing to tell her friend when something is too painful to discuss. Harper takes her first tentative steps into the larger world with Will by her side. This turns out to be both a blessing and a curse. When Will Ferrell makes a mistake, it’s bound to be both loud and public.
For me, Will & Harper is a truly touching exploration of a changing friendship. We learn so much about Harper’s life, especially the painful past when she was hiding a huge part of herself from the world. We also get to see that even famous people struggle a little bit when they find out something unexpected about a person they love. The fantastic soundtrack and final original song are icing on the cake.
The best part, I believe, is watching both Will and Harper stumble into this new stage of their relationship. Rather than being glib or preachy, the film allows both individuals to be a little unsteady. Sometimes things go more smoothly than they expect, sometimes they’re really rough. These friends give us something priceless—a chance to see beyond the headlines. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hopeful, Will & Harper is a gift. I hope you watch it.
Will & Harper is streaming on Netflix.
Sue reads a lot, writes a lot, edits a lot, and loves a good craft. She was deemed “too picky” to proofread her children’s school papers and wears this as a badge of honor. She is also proud of her aggressively average knitting skills She is the Editorial Director at Silver Beacon Marketing and an aspiring Crazy Cat Lady.
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