This little indie comedy has a great supporting cast including an unrecognizable Nick Offerman (at least I didn't realize it was him) as Greg's dad and Molly Shannon who steals the show as Denise. Although this film came out fairly close to "The Fault in Our Stars", I think this little indie is the superior of the teen with cancer genre.
If you've seen the previews, yes there are films within a film, but they are not the main focus. They are more of a supporting cast than a lead.
Alfonso Gomex-Rejon balances humor with the tough moments in just the right way and the cast all did a wonderful job in bringing this story to life.
The story follows Greg (Thomas Mann) as he tries to survive his senior year of high school. His only true friend is Earl (RJ Cyler). They bonded over their love of classic films and foreign ones. They spend their free time creating parodies of these films which deserve more credit than they give themselves.
Greg's life changes when his mother (Connie Britton) tells him that one of his classmates Rachel (Olivia Cooke) has cancer and forces him to go see her. He does so begrudgingly and in spite of everything they become good friends. At the encouragement of another classmate, Earl and Greg decide to make a film for Rachel.
Greg struggles to make the perfect film for his friend and when he finally does he sees what he has to offer to the world.
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"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"
Rating: 4/5
PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements.
Running time: 105 minutes
