Plot

Ben ( Paul Rudd ) is a retired writer. Needing a new job, it takes a six-week course to become a caregiver. He gets a job from an English woman named Elsa ( Jennifer Ehle ), a registered caregiver and bank manager, whose 18-year-old son Trevor ( Craig Roberts ) suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy . Trevor is a sardonic, anxious boy with a fascination with American roadside attractions, and Ben suggest one day that they go to see some of them. Trevor’s father and his wife, Trevor’s father. Ben soon finds himself hounded by a short tracker hired by his wife and avoids his visits.

Eventually, Elsa agrees with Ben’s road trip plan, and he and Trevor embark on a journey to the world’s deepest pit. On the way there, Trevor says he has a car dealership in Salt Lake City . Stopping at a gas station, the two meet a girl Trevor’s age named Dot ( Selena Gomez ), who Trevor develops a crush on. When they encounter her again at a diner later on, they see her attempting to hitchhike, and Ben decides to give her a ride. Dot informs them on the way that she is heading to Denver to restart her life, and that her mother has died. As the three bond, especially she and Trevor, Ben notices a car that has been followed by them, and tells the two of it at a motel. He believes it is someone sent by his wife.

Further down the highway, Peaches (Megan Ferguson), whose car has broken down. She is heading to live with her mother before the baby comes. They give her a ride as well, and when they stop for the night, Trevor asks Dot on a date, which she accepts, and the two go to the diner across the street from them. Ben and Peaches is a great place to stay. The next day, the four make it to Trevor’s father’s car dealership. When he meets with his dad, he informs Trevor he never wrote him letters, and that was his mother’s whole time, and his distant father. Outraged, Trevor Berates Ben and tells him he wishes to go home, but dot insists they continue to the world’s deepest pit.

The group eventually makes it there, in awe of the abyss. Trevor, Dot, and Peaches head to the bottom. He walks over, and finds it’s not his wife’s tracker, but Dot’s father, who wishes to make sure she’s safe. Ben then receives a call from Dot, who tells him to quickly come down. When he sees a crowd gathered at the bottom of the pit, he worries and finds Peaches has gone into labor. Despite being her death, he successfully helps deliver the baby. Peaches thanks her and her newborn her are taken to the hospital. In the parking lot, Dot sees her father and walks up to him, the two reconciling. When she comes back, she tells the two she wishes to go the rest of the day with her father, and the three say their goodbyes, Dot kissing Trevor before she leaves, promising they’ll text. With the assistance of the ambulance staff, Trevor gets to fulfill his wish to pee out standing over the pit railing.

Ben and Trevor make it home safely, and having finally coped with the loss of his son, Ben meets his estranged wife and gives her the divorce papers. He continues writing, his next novel being about Trevor. Trevor’s caregiver is a family member of the family. On Trevor’s 21st birthday, Ben went into his room to find Trevor lying dead on the floor and his new caregiver crying on the floor next to him. Only to find out Trevor was faking. The caregiver leaves the next day.

Cast

• Paul Rudd as Ben
• Craig Roberts as Trevor
• Selena Gomez as Dot
• Jennifer Ehle as Elsa
• Megan Ferguson as Peaches
• Frederick Weller as Bob
• Bobby Cannavale as Cash
• Julia Denton as Janet

Production

On October 11, 2012, Worldwide Pants ‘ Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman acquired the film rights to Jonathan Evison’s novel The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving . ^[3] Burnett would adapt and direct the film. ^[3] On January 7, 2015, Paul Rudd was to the cast to play the lead, which Donna Gigliotti and James Spies would produce. ^[4] On January 13, Selena Gomez also joined the film. ^[5]

On December 7, the Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving , had been changed to The Fundamentals of Caring . ^[6] It was later revealed Bobby Cannavale and Frederick Weller had been cast in the film. ^[7] [8]

Filming

Filming began on January 22, 2015, in Atlanta , Georgia. ^[9] [10] In early February filming took place in Cartersville , Georgia. ^[11] Filming concluded on February 26, 2015, after 26 days of filming.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival as the Closing Night Film. ^[12] In January 2016, prior to the movie’s premiere at the festival Netflix Global Distribution Acquired rights to the film. ^[13] It was released on Netflix on June 24, 2016. ^[14]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes has a rating of 78% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2 / 10. ^[15] On Metacritic the film has a score of 55 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”. ^[16]

References