If you have even glanced at anything in the entertainment industry in the past year, you can see very clearly that Ryan Gosling is in his own sort of career…shall we call it a Kenaissance? After The Fall Guy hits theaters nationwide this weekend, I think we’re going to see a whole new level of love and appreciation for him and his work.
The Fall Guy is about a stuntman who gets caught up in a real life circle of crime, danger, and of course, lots of car chases, fights, and action. Based on a television show that ran from 1981-1986 and starred Lee Majors, the big screen adaptation is basically one long two hour (and five minute!) stunt. That might sound exhausting but unlike Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which felt a like they were randomly throwing stunts at a man of a certain age just to see him do them before the character was done, The Fall Guy’s story/plot and even dialogue continues through the stunts which makes them even more incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EySdVK0NK1Y&ab_channel=UniversalPictures
And let’s talk about those stunts. The movie is about a stunt man in Hollywood so it stands to reason that the stunts would be incredible but they were so much bigger and more than that. It felt like no details were missed even to the point of seeing the reflection of the stunts being performed in the mirrored sunglasses of Colt Seavers (Gosling).
One of the stunts for the film actually broke a Guiness World Record. You can read more about what it was like from the stunt driver himself, Logan Holladay, here.
With the strikes last year in Hollywood and the ongoing conversation around adding stunts to the Academy Awards (yes this is addressed in the film) this is the perfect time for the release of this movie. Especially since IATSE is up for strike negotiations this year.
But lest you think only stunts are addressed in this film, it’s really not. This movie is all about what it takes to make a movie. It’s a well-known fact that Hollywood loves making movies about making movies. There’s a magic to it that all of us in the industry understand. We love telling stories and sharing that magic with audiences and this movie shows that off in spades. It’s a love letter to more than just stunts. In this movie, everyone who works in film gets a shoutout, easter egg, or nod in some way, shape or form. From screenwriting all the way through props, makeup, grips, camera ops…everyone gets some love in this film.
And of course I love the marketing on this film as well. I love when a movie leans into itself and goes a bit over the top with the message and this film does that incredibly well. From Ryan Gosling showing up on the red carpet by rolling through a window or riding to a premiere in the back of his classic Chevy squarebody truck from the original show, they hit all the perfect marketing notes.
In short, the message in this film shines through every line and every scene. If you love movies, we see you. We made this movie for you. And if you’re on the crew who has painstakingly put together a scene, a stunt, or a shoot, we see you and we acknowledge all of your hard work – even if the Academy doesn’t.
The Fall Guy stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, and Hannah Waddingham and is in theaters nationwide this weekend.
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