We have a brand new documentary that works like a road-trip movie – where an old man receives an email from an old friend who now wants to be recognized as a woman, and the two of them hit the road, just like that. But in Netflix’s latest documentary, Will and Harper, Will is world famous actor and comedian Will Ferrell and Harper is the famous SNL writer who used to be known as Andrew Steele. Obviously that adds a layer of value to the documentary, which could just as easily have been about two random friends. But Will and Harper soars thanks to its honesty, and the way director Josh Greenbaum films the whole thing. It’s a genuine, heartfelt, emotionally impactful story that (rightfully) focuses on Harper, and Will sort of represents the audience.Â
What Happens In The Documentary?
After introducing himself as the greatest actor in the world in front of the camera, Will Ferrell starts talking about his best friend of more than thirty years – this guy called Andrew Steele. From driving all across the USA to ending up in seedy bars to gorging on greasy food, SNL writer Andy has always been quite the epitome of manliness. Naturally when Will receives this email from Andy, where she (this is the point from where I’m using the right pronoun) lets him know that she now desires to be known as a woman, he’s surprised. Harper is skeptical about how Will’s gonna react, but he takes it incredibly well. Not only does he do that, Will also comes up with this amazing idea of going on a road-trip together and visiting some of the places Harper once visited as a man. He’s curious to know about her transition to womanhood and also wants to see how she feels around these same old places as Harper.
How Does The Trip Go For Will and Harper?
Quite fittingly, the journey starts from the place where Will and Harper met for the first time – the NBC studio building. We get to know that when Will first came onto the SNL scene, people didn’t use to think he was gonna make it. But Harper saw something in him and she was right after all. We see them getting nostalgic, and also meeting some very familiar faces, including Tina Fey. It’s not at all surprising that the people here are absolutely supportive of Harper. And so are Harper’s kids, who they meet during breakfast on the same day.
Will and Harper call their dear friend Kristen Wiig and request her to do a theme song for them. Their next destination is Indiana, and while on the road, Will asks his bestie the reason behind choosing the name ‘Harper’. She replied that it felt right (and much better than something like Angie instead of Andy), and acclaimed novelist Harper Lee also used to go to school with Harper’s mother. From their conversation, we also get more insight into the struggle Harper had to go through to come out, including her own therapist not acknowledging her feelings. Anyway, they’re in Indiana for a basketball game. Harper is quite familiar, as she has gone to many of those before, but as Andy. In fact, being into sports was her way of proving that she was, in fact, a man. It just so happens that she actually likes it. At a diner in Indiana, Harper confesses to Will that she’s quite nervous about the game as she’s gonna walk into a crowd full of ‘bros’. She also gets disappointed when a waitress mistakenly addresses her as ‘sir’ instead of ‘ma’am’. Will immediately corrects the waitress and she promptly apologizes, but Harper’s disappointment is also justified here. At the game, Will and Harper have quite a nice experience. Will even attempts to introduce Harper to the crowd (by using his celebrity privilege) but the camera stops rolling, unfortunately. As a matter of coincidence, Will meets the Governor of Indiana at the arena, and upon learning what Will is doing, the governor seems to be quite supportive. Only later do they get to know that this man actually happens to be transphobic and is doing everything in his power to take trans rights away.
At Peoria, Illinois, Will and Harper meet another trans woman, Dana. She candidly talks about how she knew who she was since her childhood but only gathered the courage of coming out much later, similar to Harper. Next up, in Iowa, the duo stays at Harper’s sister’s. When Will asks how she feels about Harper, she replies that she can’t imagine how sad it was for her sister, carrying this inside all these years. Iowa is also where Harper grew up. She shows Will her old house, before riding a unicycle down the street, to soak up nostalgia. When Will and Harper stop outside a shady bar, Harper asks Will to wait outside and go inside all by herself. However, she ends up having a great time there and Will also joins the party. They also visit a race car track where the people seem to be supportive enough of Harper.
Things expectedly don’t go well in Texas for the duo, where Will and Harper go to a steakhouse and Will tries to do a skit as Sherlock Holmes. The crowd makes Harper feel humiliated, and on their way to the next destination, Will breaks down over not being able to protect his friend. Many problematic social media posts from the transphobic lot of Texas are also shown on the screen, simultaneously. Harper, however, seems remarkably calm and even comforts Will during all this. This is also where she candidly talks about suicidal thoughts and how she battled with them, some years ago.
Albuquerque is an important destination for Harper because this is where her journey of transition started a year ago. What better way to celebrate than getting on a hot air balloon and let Will shout at the dogs beneath them? The location then shifts to Grand Canyon, where they come across a retired therapist who’s amazed to meet them. She also regrets not being supportive enough to a client, who once came to her with the same thoughts as Harper.
Will and Harper ends with Harper showing her best friend a Los Angeles house she bought, in order to live as a woman secretly from time to time. Only later did she realize that this was not the right way after all. Will presents Harper a pair of diamond earrings and Harper gives Will a treat at a Dunkin Donuts. As the credits roll, we find out that Kristen Wiig has finally come up with a song as it plays in the background.
Final ThoughtsÂ
While I was very much invested in the journey of Will and Harper, I couldn’t help but think Harper is only able to do any of this because Will Ferrell, her best friend, is a celebrity. Things would not have been easy if she was a regular person with a best friend with not much social or financial privilege. But I was really glad when Harper herself brought that question up, and acknowledged her privilege while having dinner with a disguised Will at a Las Vegas restaurant. Even for her, Texas has been a nightmarish experience, which would have been thousand times harder for someone who was not big in the entertainment business.
Will and Harper, however, is extremely aware of all this. Harper might be at advantage for her own career and having Will Ferrell as a best friend, but come to think of it, Ferrell is actually using his celebrity status to make a documentary. And his enthusiasm is boundless. He’s literally willing to travel all across the country just so his best friend is able to find herself and feel better. That’s an amazing true story right there, which is being told fascinatingly.
Not for a single second does Will and Harper seem preachy or try to tell you how to act around transgender people. It just shows you what happened to Harper and Will on their journey, and lets you decide what to make of it. I would say this is the best possible way to raise awareness, if that’s really the motto. It is also refreshing to see Netflix breaking out of their usual true crime mold and doing something like this. I have honestly gotten a bit tired of the genre thanks to writing about so many of those Netflix documentaries in recent times. Will and Harper, however, has appeared as fresh air and I absolutely happen to enjoy it. This is clearly one of the best films of the year 2024 and I hope to see more of Will and Harper in the future. Maybe they should make the road-trip a yearly thing, what say?
