Movie Review: The Fundamentals of Caring

Summer has officially started, which means the time has come for the obligatory wave of indie dramedys that premiered at January's Sundance Film Festival to hit theaters as counterprogramming to the endless barrage of blockbusters being rolled out this time of year. Streaming giants Netflix helped change up this unofficial tradition a bit by acquiring the distribution rights to this summer's first sentimental, sappy Sundance film with Rob Burnett's The Fundamentals of Caring, a film that manages to overcome its predictability and reliance on sappy melodrama to deliver a satisfying viewing experience.

The plot focuses on Ben (Paul Rudd), an out-of-work writer with a recently deceased child and an impending divorce who reluctantly becomes a caregiver to make ends meet. His first client Trevor (Craig Roberts) is a bitter and highly sarcastic 20-year old man with multiple sclerosis who recently moved from England to Washington with his single mother (Jennifer Elhe). After weeks of clashing with each other in the confines of Trevor's house, the two decide to embark on a road trip to see a series of bizarre roadside attractions Trevor had seen on TV and eventually start to bond and help each other get over their most crippling fears and personal insecurities.

Despite it's strict adherence to indie comedy/drama cliches, The Fundamentals of Caring is still able to skate by on its charm and the quality of its cast. The relationship between Rudd and Roberts feels very natural and the actors both play their parts wonderfully and while the handful of completely forced emotional scenes in the latter half of the film are somewhat cringe-inducing, the film's warmth is real and hard to resist. The Fundamentals of Caring won't go down with recent releases Me and the Earl and the Dying Girl and The Kings of Summer as standout films in the unofficial "Sundance dramedy" genre, but it's still worth watching if you're looking for a light, funny and touching movie.

3.5/5 Stars