A somber dramedy for writers and dog lovers
Aspiring novelists and dog lovers, I have the perfect film for you! The Friend is a dramedy adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel. Though the book takes a unique approach by not giving the characters names except for the dog, Apollo, the film utilizes a traditional style and narrative structure. Despite its handful of plot contrivances, The Friend is a somber yet inspiring reminder of the power of strong friendships, where deep conversations come easily and unique personal connections are irreplaceable.
Iris (Naomi Watts) is a writer and teacher bequeathed with a Great Dane, Apollo, the pet of her suddenly deceased best friend and writing mentor, Walter (Bill Murray). Iris must navigate the heavy emotional loss from losing her friend while frantically finding the proper home for Apollo, whether with her or with a rescue. The Friend would fail the Bechdel test, as Iris spends most of her time, when not with Apollo, meeting up with an assortment of women from Walter’s life (ex-wives, friends, his daughter) to talk about Walter’s legacy of written works, personal faults, and eccentricities. There’s a lot of “artist speak” where the characters discuss books, quote favorite passages, and somehow put the perfect words to their feelings. This isn’t a criticism. I found the script surprisingly soulful, the performances superb (even the dog, bravo!), and the emotional dialogue managed to stay simple and honest, rather than pretentious.
The Friend has its fair share of recognizably enticing production design elements and rom-com characteristics: perfectly mood-lit New York apartments with “messy” bookshelves (why can’t mine look like that!?), canine shenanigans, a few one-dimensional side characters, and a comparatively laxed depiction of someone suddenly keeping a giant dog in a “no dogs allowed” NYC apartment building. However, The Friend isn’t a rom-com, nor is it weighed down by its underdeveloped details. The Friend is arguably a drama, if not a dramedy. Throughout the film, even in its humorous moments, The Friend permeates with a sad undercurrent. The film isn’t afraid to show that life can be tragic, unexpected, and hurtful, and friendships don’t always last. As Iris learns, the melancholic reality of life’s fragility doesn’t detract from the love and beauty felt within deep connections with other people, animals, places, and oneself.
The common stereotype of aspiring writers is that they’re always depressed. True or not, The Friend has a lot for writers to love – from its use of struggling artists to its portrayal of the creative process. The Friend explores the way writing allows individuals to be themselves, to work comfortably in solitude, and be true to their own emotions, even while keeping the important friendships in their lives. All the writers I know embrace solitude. And for dog lovers, well, did I mention the Great Dane?
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The Friend opens in theaters on Friday, April 4th.
