I caught wind of Will & Harper back around the time Netflix released it - which I guess was last September.

It had been in the back of my mind as something I should watch, and then Harper appeared in the SNL mini docs - I think a couple of times - and I was reminded of it.

Of course the documentary was appealing because I’m always willing to spend a couple of hours watching Will Ferrell, and it was also interesting to me to see what he was like when he wasn’t being funny.

I mean, a lot of the time he was being funny in this too - I think it’s just his nature. (There’s a great scene early when he’s packing and decides not to bring a saxophone that made me laugh. Also, a very understated moment when Will comes up on Harper’s phone as ‘Bob Goulet’ also made me laugh.)

The quick summary of Will & Harper - Will Ferrell travels cross-country with his friend, Harper Steele, a former SNL writer who about five years ago came out as a trans woman. The road trip is partly meant to see if Harper still enjoys some of the places she used to travel when she did not present as a woman, and also whether she would be accepted at those places.

There were moments that felt performative and staged, as though that was the only way they could cover certain plot points.

But there are really touching moments, and the emotion throughout the doc is genuine and there are some genuine moments with people captured by the cameras too. Many of those are positive, and the negative ones aren’t exactly captured by the camera but they are presented to the viewer in different ways.

There’s a beautiful scene with Harper’s sister, there are fun moments where you see how Harper’s community cares for her - like old SNL castmates - there are moments that surprise you at how she’s received, and there are moments you’re disappointed in people at how she’s received.

I guess this was documented on social media in real time as it was happening, because there are references to some of Ferrell’s cross-country travels online in the doc, but I missed that at the time.

There’s some funny stuff from Will Ferrell, and some ridiculous stuff.

I’ll give you this little spoiler alert, but I’ll keep it vague: There is a song by the end and it is lovely.

The doc felt important, and maybe it didn’t address everything it needed to address in the way it needed to address it….but it’s certainly better than nothing and ignoring the topic.

Bottom line, it’s a beautiful story about friendship, and it did bring me to tears a few times.

If you’re wondering if you should watch it, I’m suggesting you do so.