The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Paul Rudd is Ben, a depressed ex-writer with a tragic secret who decides to start a new career as a caregiver. His first job is with obnoxious Trevor, a British boy suffering from muscular dystrophy. What follows is a "meet cute"/"take no prisoners" kind of relationship, so popular in contemporary "family movies".Trevor is not a likeable guy, although suffering from a terrible and incurable illness, I found it impossible to sympathise with him. Ben is supposed "not to get emotionally involved" with Trevor, which looks like not requiring too much of an effort... but of course, he does get all fatherly.A Ben/Trevor road trip ensues peppered by several sub-plots, one of them about Dot, a foul-mouthed runaway who thinks she's the wisest girl on earth and - again, obviously - has a fling with Trevor.With the entrance of Dot I lost interest. She is - as described in "Gone Girl" - a "cool" girl, the type of stereotyped female that infests most contemporary movies. She is also a convenient plot device, ready to give Trevor his much needed sexual experience and to prove that "cool" girls have no prejudice - no matter how bad their language may be. A very "indie' movie, from the look & feel to the straight to Netflix distribution

Movies like this do not come along every day. A movie that can send you through a myriad of emotions and make you think about the world while at the same time make you laugh your head off. I have never seen tragedy and humor blended together so well. I am a huge Paul Rudd fan and I really feel that this is his best role so far. Many people know him as a comedian but his serious acting is also amazing. You will see a blend of both in this movie. The chemistry between Ben, Trevor and Dot was amazing, I loved every second of it and I didn't want it to end. The addition of Peaches, the pregnant woman was a little confusing to me and I questioned her relevance until the scene where she is giving birth and we finally see the full flashback of the tragedy that befell Ben's son. We simultaneously see his son's life coming to an end while this new life is beginning. I felt that the movie lost its momentum once Peaches arrived and when they confronted Trevor's father. The actor they chose for him was an odd choice, was he supposed to appear mentally challenged or was he just a jerk? And Trevor's mom did not appear to be the coddling type, I thought it was strange that she would have written him those letters.I was sorry to see Dot go off with her father but I was glad that Trevor got to experience a normal life and romance, however brief it was. I like to decide that he sees her again and that they perhaps ultimately end up together somehow. I did not really like that Ben resigned as his caregiver two weeks after their epic ordeal, but I guess what Trevor said about Ben trying to find redemption through him was true. I guess the point is that they stay in each other's lives. It is beautiful that he lost his son and essentially gains Trevor to replace that connection. I did not like that Ben told Peaches that having children is literally the only reason we are all here. I do not feel that is true and I feel that the movie even realizes that in the end. The point of us all being here is clearly human connection, not just between parents and children, connections of love and understanding between ANYONE. I would have personally liked to have seen more backstory between Ben and his seemingly heartless wife after the accident and more clarity on the accident itself. Ben seemed to blame himself for what happened but it seemed to be a freak accident. Was it really his fault, or was something wrong with that car? It looked like the gear shift was shaky and that he had put the emergency brake on too. So I don't really understand how that ended up happening.It was beautiful how all of them had suffered in some way on their own and how together they filled in "the deepest pit" that was in each of their hearts. I think the point was to show how beautiful life can still be even amidst all the unexpected sorrow.

Paul Rudd plays for him a common role as the unsuccessful person who grows in to new circumstances in his life. He has done it great before in his comic movies and does it in this one as well. This is a heartwarming story about a boy with a disability who uses his sarcastic humor to deal with his situation. Paul Rudd becomes his caretaker with no goal to take it seriously. A special friendship bounds them together circling their special sarcasm and saves them both from the tragic in their lives. It grasps your interest from the start and continues to build it up trough the whole movie. Warmly recommended!

i have never felt the need to review a movie on IMDb up until now, but it would be a shame if others miss out on this gem. /guy* evidently my review is too short for IMDb. it might be awhile before i review another one with that sort of inane requirement. there is a great quote, wait, i need filler so i'll go get it ......... "My Letters were not wont to come so close one in the neck of another, nor yet to be so large. The short time I have had hath been the cause of both. I had not made this longer than the rest, but that I had not the leisure to make it shorter then it is." ~Blaise Pascal.is that enough for you IMDb? take the hint--it's harder to write a short review that's good than a meandering longer one. /guy* geeeesh! now IMDb is telling me i didn't spell netflix right. i'm pretty sure that the characters are all in the right places and they just have some moronic requirements for capital letters.this will definitely be my first and last IMDb review. you guys can soldier on without my opinions, i'm sure. /guy