I had been scrolling by this title on Netflix for a while.. it had been on my list but for any number of silly reasons I wasn’t ready to make the plunge. When I finally did, I wished that I hadn’t waited so long to watch it. I’m usually quite impressed by Netflix originals, and The Fundamentals of Caring was no exception.The Fundamentals
Paul Rudd plays Ben, a former writer who takes a caregiving course and is applying for his first job – caring for 18 year old Trevor, played by Craig Roberts. Trevor has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a strict daily routine. Trevor is cynical and anxious and fascinated by odd roadside attractions he sees on the news. Ben convinces Trevor and his mother, Elsa (Jennifer Ehle), to let him take Trevor on a road trip to see some of these attractions in person. Along the way, they meet Dot, played by Selena Gomez, who is hitchhiking her way to Denver but agrees to tag along with Ben and Trevor to see the world’s biggest pit – their main destination. The group also meets Peaches (Megan Ferguson), a pregnant woman going to live with her mother while her husband is on his second tour with the military. Road trip shenanigans ensue – by the end of the movie I was not only satisfied and emotional but mentally planning 100 road trips I wanted to take immediately.
The Caring
I really, really, REALLY liked this movie. Paul Rudd is just wonderful at all times and I would probably watch anything if he were in it. Craig Roberts was also amazing, and the chemistry that he and Paul Rudd had together as Ben and Trevor was fantastic. Selena Gomez impressed me as well. Oddly enough, the only other movie with Craig Roberts in it that I’ve seen is Neighbors, and the only movie I’ve seen Selena Gomez in is Neighbors 2… but don’t worry, The Fundamentals of Caring is light years ahead of those. I didn’t want to give too much of the plot away, but obviously each character has their own personal issues that they’re dealing with and that they’re sort of forced to face head on while on the road trip. This trope is in no way new. There are tons of “finding myself on a road trip” movies, but somehow this one felt different and it never lost me along the way. I found it refreshing to watch a movie where two male characters bond but that wasn’t a raunchy bromance-comedy (not that there’s anything wrong with those). It was also nice that each character got their own journey. Nothing about the movie felt unnecessary or extra. I could definitely rewatch this, probably a few times, and I’ve already been recommending it to people.
If you’ve seen this movie, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!
a movie mind 
It was a sweet enough little movie. Nice review.
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