With dreams of becoming the next great professional wrestler, Zak (Zach Gottsagen), a 22-year old man with Down syndrome, escapes the retirement home he lives in to make his way to Florida and join a wrestling school. He is pursued by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson; Suspiria), his friend and caretaker from the home. Along the way he befriends Tyler (Shia LaBeouf; Transformers) who lets him tag along as he runs away from his own pursuers.

Set in the coastal areas of North Carolina, the film has some beautiful views. Directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz favor the yellow-greens of the wet setting when outdoors without postcard-style imagery. They make an effort to show how grimy life in that area can be. Most of the characters are poor, houses are broken down, and everyone seems to be dirty and sweaty. LaBeouf looks like he hasn’t showered for days and it makes the characters and setting believable.

With his straightforward delivery, Zak is an immediately likable protagonist. Zak is smart, resourceful, and determined. The subterfuge in his attempts to escape the retirement home are hilarious as he earns the help of his fellow patients though bartering pudding for a diversion. He brings honesty and innocence to the screen. He responses carry no pretense or ulterior motive and Gottsagen’s acting feels completely in the moment as Zak authentically reacts to the characters around him. His goal of reaching the wrestling camp, while ridiculous, is so earnest that it makes him and his pursuit sympathetic. Despite this being his first major role, Gottsagen is able to handle himself alongside experienced actors like Bruce Dern (Nebraska) as he deftly handles both dramatic and silly scenes.

The friendship between Zak and Tyler is what drives the film. LaBeouf has a reputation both on an off camera, but his performance here contrasts nicely with Gottsagen. Tyler is trying to be a lone wolf as he flees his pursuers, but, after witnessing Zak’s sincerity, he becomes the perfect contrast. He encourages Zak and makes Zak’s goals his own. The same is true for Eleanor. She is more pragmatic as she wants to bring Zak back home to safety, but she also recognizes how much wrestling means to him and is willing to take risks just to make him happy. As cliché as it may seem, Tyler and Eleanor become Zak’s surrogate family and the care they show Zak is heartwarming without being saccharine.

The film focuses on themes of family and self-acceptance. When Zak and Tyler start their journey, Zak has negative opinions about his own abilities. He assumes he has to be the villain in wrestling because he has Down syndrome until Tyler explains otherwise. It’s nothing new for a film to promote self-acceptance, but the tangible changes to Zak’s perception of himself are enough to soften the familiarity. Showing, not telling, how even small bits of encouragement can drastically change someone’s beliefs is the film’s greatest accomplishment. Nilson and Schwartz have made a heartwarming adventure with an unlikely, but lovable hero.

4/5 stars.