The Reel Review
When actor/comedian Will Ferrell’s longtime friend, former Saturday Night Live head writer Andrew Steele, comes out as transgender, the duo decide to take a road trip across America to locations with special meaning for Steele, now known as Harper, in her journey for happiness. Their goal – to find out if Harper’s becoming a woman will change their friendship and spark conversation about what it is to be transgender, in this Netflix documentary.
By providing a human face to transgenderism and showing the overwhelming support Harper has from so many former SNL cast members, Will & Harper does a huge service to the trans community with a film that is honest, informative, personal and touching, as a wary Harper revisits some of her favorite old stomping grounds – dive bars, diners, truck stops and sporting events – uncertain if she will be accepted as her new, authentic self. Ferrell shows genuine emotion – especially after posing for a photo with the governor of Indiana at a Pacers basketball game, only to later discover that same governor had signed strict anti-trans legislation denying teenagers gender-affirming care.
Director Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) doesn’t shy away from the hateful social media posts, disapproving looks and misgendering, but more often than not, the people Will and Harper meet along the way are more accepting – some surprisingly so. Ferrell’s comic bits – in Amarillo and Las Vegas in particular – don’t always land, and the film lags a bit in the middle, but the theme song from Kristen Wiig over the closing credits is cinematic gold, underscoring that true friendship endures anything that comes its way.
REEL FACTS
• Will Ferrell says he wanted the documentary to come out before the upcoming 2024 election to make people think about the effects of their negative attitudes towards transgender people.
• Director Josh Greenbaum says he was worried that these two comedians would not open up emotionally, but those fears were allayed as soon as filming started.
• Harper Steele was a writer at Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2008, serving as head writer those last four years.
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