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Come as You Are (2019 film)

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Come as You Are
Directed byRichard Wong
Written byErik Linthorst
Produced byJacqueline E. Ingram
Grant Rosenmeyer
Barrett Stuart
StarringGrant Rosenmeyer
Hayden Szeto
Ravi Patel
Gabourey Sidibe
CinematographyRichard Wong
Edited byRichard Wong
Music byJeremy Turner
Production
companies
Chicago Media Angels
Florida Hill Entertainment
The Black List
Distributed bySamuel Goldwyn Films
Release dates
  • March 9, 2019 (2019-03-09) (South by Southwest)
  • February 14, 2020 (2020-02-14) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Come as You Are is a 2019 American comedy drama film directed by Richard Wong and starring Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, Ravi Patel and Gabourey Sidibe. Produced and financed by Chicago Media Angels and The Blacklist,[1][2] it is a remake of the 2011 Belgian film Hasta la Vista.[3] The plot concerns three friends who, along with a hired driver, set out for a brothel in Montreal that caters to people with disabilities.

Plot

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Scotty, Matt, and Mo befriend each other while attending a physical therapy center. Twentysomething Scotty has been a paraplegic since birth and lives with his overbearing mother Liz. Matt, an Asian-American former athlete, has recently begun using a wheelchair and lives with his parents and sister. Mo, of South Asian ethnicity, is in his 30s and blind. All three men seem resigned to their situations as lifelong virgins, until Scotty learns about a brothel in Montreal that specifically caters to men with disabilities. He persuades Matt and Mo to secretly hire a special needs van and a driver, and the trio sneaks out of their respective homes to hit the road.

The road trip involves various pit stops and misadventures, including a jazz club in Chicago and a run-in with a state trooper. The men, as well as driver Sam, also confront prejudice due to their disabilities and their respective ethnicities. Meanwhile, the men's parents are working together to track down their sons.

Cast

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  • Grant Rosenmeyer as Scotty
  • Hayden Szeto as Matt
  • Ravi Patel as Mo
  • Gabourey Sidibe as Sam
  • Janeane Garofalo as Liz
  • C. S. Lee as Roger
  • Jennifer Jelsema as Maryanne
  • Martha Kuwahara as Jamie
  • Daisye Tutor as Becky
  • Delaney Feener as Sarah
  • Kari Perdue as Jennifer
  • Michael Waller as Bobby
  • Netta Walker as Claire
  • Christian Litke as Drunk Guy
  • Marika Engelhardt as Angelique
  • Sophie Hoyt as Valerie
  • Christine Vrem-Ydstie as Chantal

Release

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Come as You Are premiered at the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival.[1] At the Napa Valley Film Festival it won an Audience Award,[4] and it was an opening night film at SF IndieFest.[5] It received a limited release in the United States on February 14, 2020.[6]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Come As You Are approaches sensitive subjects with heart and humor, taking audiences on a thoroughly entertaining road trip to a crowd-pleasing destination."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

G. Allen Johnson of the San Francisco Chronicle said that though the film appears to be a predictable "guys-trying-to-lose-their-virginity" sex comedy, it surprises viewers with its empathy and depth. He wrote, "Crass and confrontational at the outset, 'Come as You Are' achieves a winning sense of vulnerability", adding it "is a funny and moving crowd-pleaser".[5] Writing for The Observer, Wendy Ide said the film "explores its theme of sexuality and disability with admirable candour".[9] The Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper said the film "earns its laughs and tears".[10]

Despite praise for the direction, script, and humor, critics pointed out how the casting of able-bodied actors as disabled characters presented a missed opportunity for the film.[9][11][12][13][14]

In August 2021, during Edinburgh TV Festival's MacTaggart Lecture, British screenwriter and disability campaigner Jack Thorne cited the film as an example of ableism in the film and television industries, highlighting the lack of disabled actors in the cast.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hurtado, J. (March 12, 2019). "SXSW 2019 Review: COME AS YOU ARE, Surprisingly Empathetic Cross Country Sexcapade". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 5, 2019). "'Come As You Are' Clip: Gabourey Sidibe Is Nobody's Sweetheart In Offbeat SXSW Road Trip Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Harvey, Dennis (March 19, 2019). "SXSW Film Review: 'Come as You Are'". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Dore, Shalini (November 20, 2019). "'Lucky Grandma' Wins Napa Valley Film Festival Narrative Feature Prize". Variety. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Johnson, G. Allen (February 12, 2020). "Review: 'Come as You Are' adds a new twist to the well-trodden sex comedy". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "Come as You Are (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Come as You Are (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "Come As You Are Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Ide, Wendy (July 18, 2020). "Come As You Are review - a briskly unsentimental journey". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  10. ^ Roeper, Richard (February 11, 2020). "'Come As You Are' freshens up the road-trip cliches". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Kermode, Mark (August 18, 2020). "Come as You Are". Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Frederick, Candice (February 13, 2020). "'Come As You Are' Film Review: Uneven Comedy Spotlights Disabled Characters But Casts Able-Bodied Actors". TheWrap. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Girish, Devika (February 13, 2020). "'Come as You Are' Review: Three Disabled Men on a Sex Quest". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Laffly, Tomris (February 14, 2020). "Come As You Are movie review & film summary (2020)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  15. ^ MacTaggart Lecture: Jack Thorne | Edinburgh TV Festival 2021. August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
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