Review of The Fundamentals of Caring (2016) by Carli B — 23 Feb 2017

Former producer of Late Show with David Letterman and four time Emmy winner, Rob Burnett, introduced his film, The Fundamentals of Caring, this past year. It is based on the 2012 novel, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, written by Jonathan Evison. Being that it is Burnett's second film in a writer-director role, I wouldn't have expected much, but this movie drew me in almost instantly. The brilliant production of scenes and relationships among the characters never failed to capture my attention.

Being a fan of Paul Rudd and Netflix, choosing to watch this movie was done without much hesitation. Ben Benjamin, played by Rudd, is an ex-novelist desperately seeking a job. Apart from his job search, Ben spends most of his days avoiding his wife and her unshakeable divorce papers. After taking a course on caregiving, he blindly applies and accepts a job from Elsa, a pragmatic English woman played by Jennifer Ehle. Bens job is to be the caregiver to her son, Trevor (Craig Roberts), an 18-year-old smart ass with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Harsh, right? Not really.

The Fundamentals of Caring starts off with a problematic relationship between Trevor and Ben. Each day is a mirror image of the next and knowing Trevor wants more out of life, Ben decides to try to change this never-ending scene and get him out of the house. Trevor's bizarre admiration of "the countries lamest roadside attractions" gives Ben the idea to pursue this fondness with a little adventure. Ben and Trevor's bro-trip would end up changing this problematic relationship into one you wish you had.

Throughout the journey, the wittiness of the two never refrains. A potty-mouthed 21-year-old instantly catches Trevor's eye at a stop on the route. Dot, played by none other than Selena Gomez, eventually tags along for the drive. Trevor's trip is filled with uncountable laughs, some disappointment, and a little romance, playing with all of the audience's emotions. From his first Slim Jim to his first date, Trevor experiences what all 18-year-old boys should.

Director, Rob Burnett portrayed his scenes flawlessly. The scenery of the road trip gives a great depiction of their whereabouts. Short shots often deliver an awkward scene between characters to show humor and mood. The clever dialogue and endless f-bombs and sass (especially from Dot) kept me intrigued until the very end. It is clearly revealed how well actors Rudd and Roberts play off each other. Their buddy-buddy relationship is more than believable. The constant joking around and actions of true endearment for one another is heartwarmingly undoubtable in final scenes.

Although just a Netflix original, The Fundamentals of Caring delivers a true dramedy with the help from a pivotal cast. This piece will make you laugh, tear up, and laugh again. Despite having such a familiar storyline, this cliché indie movie is one that deserves a chance. Being a pretty common genre for a movie, with "all the right things happening" on a "road trip that will be life-changing," The Fundamentals of Caring certainly does it right.