In the heartfelt and informative documentary WILL & HARPER, Will Ferrel and Harper Steele set out on the ultimate road trip about friendship. The premise of this film is simple. Two lifelong friends discuss and learn what it’s like to support one another after one transitions to being a woman. That story alone would have been compelling. Yet, director Josh Greenbaum adds more to the mix and has them go on a 3000-mile road trip through transphobic parts of the U.S.
I understand why Will Ferrel insisted on Netflix releasing WILL & HARPER ahead of the election. Regardless of who you vote for, one cannot deny Harper’s bittersweet journey transitioning. The honest conversations between her and Will are some of the best open dialogue captured on screen about such a polarizing political topic. And what disgusts me is that we shouldn’t be here. Our country shouldn’t be a place where someone who identifies as a different gender has to deal with cyberbullying or violence. That narrative is even more powerful because there’s no mention of Trump’s name in WILL & HARPER. Yet, there are signs of it in the places the two stop on their trip.
The saddest moment for me was watching them in a restaurant in Texas where they didn’t feel safe. Will Ferrel is one of the most famous celebrities, and yet, because he’s with a trans woman, people turn against him. That scene alone and the ordinarily shy Ferrel wearing his heart on his sleeve afterward is reason enough to see this film. It’s despicable. But maybe, just maybe, it’s awful enough to encourage challenging conversations about trans rights amongst divided families and friends.
The people who should see WILL & HARPER will most likely skip it. However, I encourage them to take the chance and stop at “Dunkin Donuts” with Will Ferrel. Watching him become an ally to Harper throughout the process is inspiring. His curiosity to understand her “why” with an open mind is what we should all be doing in America.
It’s available to stream on Netflix.
