A Winning Young Adult Book-to-Movie: “ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL” in Cinemas September 16
“This is the story of my senior year in high school
and how it destroyed my life,” so Greg said of his life in the highly acclaimed
and award-winning movie based from the bestselling book by Jesse Andrews of the
same title, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”
“Me
and Earl and the Dying Girl” is this year’s winner of the Grand Jury Prize and
the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2013, Jesse Andrews’ thought-provoking and
moving young-adult novel Me and Earl and the Dying Girl took readers by
surprise with a truly contemporary coming-of-age story, packed with smart
original dialogue and fully realized teen characters.
Director
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who had directed highly successful episodes in
teen-oriented television series “Glee” perfectly captured the book’s offbeat
humor, rare sensitivity and unique worldview in a feature film that chronicles
a young man’s journey into adulthood as he learns what it means to be truly
selfless. The innovative film also
includes sly nods to legendary movies and tracks by the incomparable Brian Eno,
including several previously unheard of compositions. 
“The
script was funny in an unusual and unpredictable way, as well as refreshingly
honest,” says Gomez-Rejon. “At first, it reminded me of the wonderful John
Hughes movies I grew up on, but then it very gently took an unexpected turn and
became so much more than just a comedy. I had just lost my father and I felt
that if I could make this film, it would be a way for me to express my own
personal losses and transform them through humor.”
Greg,
played by Thomas Mann, spends his life trying to present himself to the world
as the person he wants people to see, rather than the person he actually is,
according to Gomez-Rejon. “You can’t sustain an act like that forever,” the
director points out. “You’ll have to eventually pull off that mask and deal
with exposing yourself to rejection or, worse, indifference. Once you start to
show who you really are, then the real world can react accordingly. Not
everyone will like you and you’ll say things that you’ll regret. But you will grow from it.”
The
teenager’s deepening friendship with cancer stricken classmate Rachel, played
by Olivia Cooke, makes his posturing more difficult to maintain. “Greg starts
to face real-life challenges when he becomes close to Rachel,” says
Gomez-Rejon. “He’s been living in a world of his own, walking around with an
art-film score in his head. Now he is engaging with a world where reality isn’t
of his design.”
Even
though Greg’s story is set against the backdrop of his high-school senior year,
the appeal goes far beyond a typical teen movie, as evidenced by the enthusiasm
and commitment of the many adults involved in the production. “The movie will
be a little bit nostalgic for older audiences,” says producer Steven Rales. “I
think they will remember the challenges and complexities of what Greg is going
through and the kinds of friendships that have a lasting influence on you. For
younger audiences, it can be a reminder that there’s hope in the midst of all
the chaos. It’s a time to make meaningful friendships that can be everlasting.”
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