
The Go-Getter is a vivid road movie, fun
and full of surprising twists (with an instantly-classic
rock'n'roll score by M. Ward). It’s the story of Mercer
White, an endearingly straight-arrow 19-year-old who, eight
months after the death of his mother, steals a car and sets
out to find the much older half-brother he hasn't seen in 14
years. Mercer has quite a trip.
Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel, Jena Malone, M.
Ward, Judy Greer, Nick Offerman, Maura Tierney and Bill
Duke, the film is written and directed by Martin Hynes. The
producers are Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Lori Christopher and
Larry Furlong. Prior to its release, The Go-Getter has
garnered significant attention as the film through which
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward met and bonded, ultimately
forming everyone’s favorite new band, She & Him.
The Go-Getter had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film
Festival. The Fest’s program notes aptly describe the movie:
Left with an aching instinctual itch to explore America
after a traumatic loss, a curious teenager named Mercer
suddenly steals a car in Oregon and develops a life-altering
telephonic connection with the forgiving and mysterious girl
he took it from (Deschanel). As he sets out with her phone
calls as guidance, Mercer's motives find focus as he travels
across the postmodern highways of the former Wild West to
seek self-knowledge and a sense of belonging. Played with
truth and nuance by Pucci, young Mercer follows the clues
and confronts struggles, both good and bad, on his spiritual
journey toward manhood and an end to his grief.
Byron Shah's dreamlike cinematography and M. Ward's original
soundtrack add to this "mix tape" of emotional discoveries.
Perhaps most impressive is the way writer/director Martin
Hynes vividly and creatively steers the viewer on this
cinematic ride, where there are some roads still worth
driving down.
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