Last seen wrecking shop with the rest of the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, Paul Rudd changes gears quite considerably with the Netflix distributed The Fundamentals of Caring, the second feature from We Made This Movie director Rob Burnett. Stepping into the shoes of retired writer Ben Benjamin, whose life is in a downward spiral after a personal tragedy. After qualifying as a care giver, his first charge is Trevor (Craig Roberts), a young man suffering from muscular dystrophy who might be just as broken as himself. Soon becoming friends, the pair embark on a cross country trip to visit the World's Deepest Pit, where they find they can help each other fix themselves.
So yeah, The Fundamentals of Caring isn’t anything new when it comes to this type of Indie drama, but to dismiss it on those terms would be a huge mistake. Burnett’s script may play it a bit too safe and pile on the cliches a times, but it brings with it bucket after bucket of charm, and manages to treat Trevor’s disability with the respect it deserves. It’s light weight comedy at its best, and never will you find yourself without a smile during its 93 minute run time. The story moves along at a quick pace, really hitting it’s stride once Ben and Trevor hit the road, and really letting the core pairing of Rudd and Roberts shine. The pair prove to have amazing chemistry, quipping and joking all the way to the end credits. The cliches do come quick and fast, sometimes hammering the audience over the head with incredibly heavy hands, but the humour makes them much easier to swallow, with running gags involving Trevor’s love of faking something seriously wrong him and Ben trying to help him pee standing up (that bit may sound weird, but is the funniest part of the movie). But The Fundamentals of Caring knows when to put the humour to one side, delivering some hard won dramatic beats that prove to be incredibly satisfying having spent so much time with these characters.
This really is Rudd and Roberts show, together being one hell of a double act. Apart, they are just as likeable, with Rudd being his usual charming, dead beat self. But it’s Roberts who is the real revelation here. You’ll have to be made of stone to not insistently feel for Trevor, and Roberts makes for endearing smart arse. The rest of the cast, including Selena Gomez, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Ehle, provide able support to the leading pair.
The Fundamentals of Caring may not do anything new, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deliver an uplifting, endlessly charming experience that proves to be the perfect antidote for those wanting something other than a Summer blockbuster.
So yeah, The Fundamentals of Caring isn’t anything new when it comes to this type of Indie drama, but to dismiss it on those terms would be a huge mistake. Burnett’s script may play it a bit too safe and pile on the cliches a times, but it brings with it bucket after bucket of charm, and manages to treat Trevor’s disability with the respect it deserves. It’s light weight comedy at its best, and never will you find yourself without a smile during its 93 minute run time. The story moves along at a quick pace, really hitting it’s stride once Ben and Trevor hit the road, and really letting the core pairing of Rudd and Roberts shine. The pair prove to have amazing chemistry, quipping and joking all the way to the end credits. The cliches do come quick and fast, sometimes hammering the audience over the head with incredibly heavy hands, but the humour makes them much easier to swallow, with running gags involving Trevor’s love of faking something seriously wrong him and Ben trying to help him pee standing up (that bit may sound weird, but is the funniest part of the movie). But The Fundamentals of Caring knows when to put the humour to one side, delivering some hard won dramatic beats that prove to be incredibly satisfying having spent so much time with these characters.
This really is Rudd and Roberts show, together being one hell of a double act. Apart, they are just as likeable, with Rudd being his usual charming, dead beat self. But it’s Roberts who is the real revelation here. You’ll have to be made of stone to not insistently feel for Trevor, and Roberts makes for endearing smart arse. The rest of the cast, including Selena Gomez, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Ehle, provide able support to the leading pair.
The Fundamentals of Caring may not do anything new, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deliver an uplifting, endlessly charming experience that proves to be the perfect antidote for those wanting something other than a Summer blockbuster.
