Me and Earl and the Dying Girl MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: +1

Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, R.J. Cyler. Book and screenplay by Jesse Andrews. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Region.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Best friends Greg and Earl (Mann and Cyler) are socially challenged teenagers with a passion for making movies. Never without their camera, the two are barely scraping by in school. When Greg’s Mom (Connie Britton) tells him one of his classmates, Rachel (Cooke), has leukemia and really needs a friend, he ignores her. After much nagging by Greg's Mom, he finally visits the classmate he has previously ignored. Rachel turns out to be very receptive to company, and soon Earl joins Greg on his visits. When Rachel learns about Greg and Earl’s movie hobby, they begin to share them with her. As the three misfits bond, their lives change.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl won the top award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and continues to get good reviews. Although the plot description sounds like a soap opera, there is no weeping or dramatic suffering. Greg and Earl are insecure teenagers obsessed with being different. They play hooky¸ refuse to be part of “the crowd” and haven’t a clue about girls. Rachel sees right through them, and is not turned off by their often crude remarks. This movie is so believable, you almost feel like you are in the room with them. The boys’ ignorance about girls, and their clumsy attempts to cheer up Rachel are hilarious but sexually crude. Violence is limited to fighting between Greg and Earl, and a school cafeteria fight. Rachel encourages them, especially Greg, to apply for college, and these former strangers give her the priceless gift of friendship through a very difficult time. The two friends get high on some drug-laced cookies they accidentally eat. While there are some negative elements in this PG-13 film, there are strong positive messages about the meaning of friendship and that doing something nice for someone usually results in receiving more than you give.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Foxlight Search