A ‘Will & Harper’ Review: The Duo We Didn’t Know We Needed
By Jenna Birdwell
Image Sourced Through Pinterest
When watching a film with star Will Ferrell, I expected a goofy comedy. I mean, how could I not when he’s in films like “Zoolander” and “Stepbrothers”? But, in Netflix’s new movie “Will and Harper,” I felt a multitude of emotions.
Will and his good friend of over 30 years, “Andrew” Steele, started their friendship on the set of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in the late 90s; Will gives credit to “Andrew” for being the reason he starred in such silly comedies early in his career. Their relationship had always been strong, but life happened and the two hadn’t seen each other for many years, until one day, Will received an email from “Andrew.” Will was shocked to read that one of his best guy friends had transitioned to be a woman, and she is now Harper Steele.
Image Sourced Through IMDb
She had been silently struggling with her identity for years and everyone, including Will, thought Harper was a confident man living the New York City dream. She even said it was pretty easy being one of the guys with the raunchy comedy and irreverent jokes, but, even still, she knew she wasn’t living an authentic life.
Will immediately wanted to bombard her with questions about her transition, but he knew it couldn’t all be answered through a simple phone call or even a shared bottle of wine. So, he recommended a road trip.
Over the span of 16 days, they visited the greasiest bars, met up with some familiar famous faces and asked each other some uncomfortable questions to better understand how to navigate this new era of their friendship.
After understanding the premise of the story, I was hoping that it wouldn’t focus on Will since he is such a massive star. I knew that it would be funny because he has always been hilarious to me, but the story is a shared experience many have within the LGBTQ+ community, so it had to relay a message that resonated with people.
I believe it was important for the documentary to focus on how, as a society, we can become more understanding of how struggling with gender identity is more than just physical dysphoria, it’s an experience that emotionally exhausts someone’s mind, body, and soul.
Image Sourced Through Rotten Tomatoes
To capture the range of emotions going through Harper’s mind, the filmmakers followed her in different public settings across the country. Sometimes she felt out of place, but the many moments of pure bliss she experienced radiated through the screen.
It could have been easy for the filmmakers to follow a more traditional documentary style. They could have done sit down interviews with Will, Harper, and other friends and asked questions with some video footage to back up the storytelling. However, I feel that having a film crew dedicated to capturing their adventure as it was happening made it more magical.
The silence in the film spoke volumes. Before Harper transitioned, she was a lively hitchhiker that made it a party in every city she encountered, but now she surrounds herself with a protective bubble out of fear of other people. When silence occurred, the camera always focused on either Harper or the setting around her and I think this choice in cinematography allowed the viewer to ponder with her.
Harper teaches the viewer about acceptance. She accepted that she was going to be called horrific names, misgendered, and be put in the spotlight with Will by her side. I couldn’t even imagine the feeling of walking into a room and all eyes were scanning you, not just up and down but from the inside out as well.
But she was also surprised that so many people were accepting of her being a trans woman—considering the general political climates of the states they drove through.
“I’m a little bit in shock. And that’s not on them. That’s on me. I’m not really afraid of these people. I’m afraid of hating myself,” Harper admitted.
Being so vulnerable in front of the camera is not easy, especially since Harper had always been a writer and not an actor like Will. At some points, they felt like they were in a fishbowl because people were able to recognize Will so easily. This challenged Harper, but in the end, she was proud of herself for conquering her fear of people’s judgement.
Image Sourced Through Pinterest
"I dream of a world where I can lay my vulnerabilities out there – open for everyone until they are my strengths. I am longing for this.” - Harper Steele
