New Jersey Stage Issue 62 | Page 125

The Peanut Butter Falcon SHARE BUTTON “I’m a Down Syndrome per- son,” proclaims Zak (Zack Gott- sagen), the unique protagonist of first time filmmakers Tyler Nil- son and Michael Schwartz’s The Peanut Butter Falcon. “I don’t give a shit,” is the terse response from Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), the trouble- NJ STAGE - ISSUE 62 by Eric Hillis maker who reluctantly takes Zak under his wing. It may seem like a cruel exchange, but for Zak - and, indeed, for representation in main- stream cinema - it’s an important moment, the first time another human has refused to reductively define him by his condition. INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 125