Mere minutes ago, I finished reading Jesse Andrews' wonderful debut novel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a book I didn't know existed until recently. The film adaptation, which is hitting theaters later this year, made a splash at Sundance, racking up rave reviews and a two major awards (the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award). So it hit my radar hard, especially with Fox Searchlight distributing, since I tend to like most of the titles they oversee.
This is the rare story that tells you upfront what it is, and sticks to that (much like another Searchlight hit, (500) Days of Summer). There are so many times when things could veer into cliche or sentimentality, but that doesn't happen. In fact, charming jackass narrator Greg Gaines comments on what would happen if the book he's writing were fiction, a clever recurring theme that you can see in the film's trailer below.
The story is pretty simple: Greg (Thomas Mann) is pressured by his mom to reconnect with a childhood friend/acquaintance, Rachel (Olivia Cooke) after she's diagnosed with cancer. The Earl of the title is Greg's filmmaking partner, played by RJ Cyler. Film aficionados will have a lot to enjoy, and fans of cancer stories like The Fault in Our Stars will find a refreshing take on familiar subject matter.
Andrews adapted his book himself, which is fitting, as many scenes in the book are written in screenplay format. At the helm is Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, best known for his work on television series like Glee and American Horror Story. The supporting cast includes Connie Britton, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and Jon Bernthal.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl hits theaters June 12.
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