The Fundamentals of Caring

Director: Rob Burnett
Screenwriters: Rob Burnett

Institute History

  • 2016 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Having suffered a tragedy, Ben becomes a caregiver to earn money. His first client, Trevor, is a hilarious 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor hit the road on a trip into the western states. The folks they collect along the way will help them test their skills for surviving outside their calculated existence. Together, they come to understand the importance of hope and the necessity of true friendship.

Director/screenwriter Rob Burnett is a clever navigator, steering us around clichés and avoiding nostalgic potholes in this re-imagined road movie. The chemistry of Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts is a delight to witness, and the ensemble cast is funny and insightful as they guide our pair to grow in unexpected ways. As in life, every wrong turn is a surprise and every misadventure a new possibility. In The Fundamentals of Caring, an unlikely gaggle of misfit travelers turns a personal journey into a joyride of a film.

— John Cooper

Screening Details

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