Peanut Butter Falcon | A Discussion Guide

My grandmother told me recently I need to see Peanut Butter Falcon. She and her friends really enjoyed it and said it was a great movie. (Despite her having me watch a very questionable older movie, I’m trusting her on this one). I was also offered a copy to check out! I’m all about a movie that gets you in the feels!

The Peanut Butter Falcon is being touted as a Modern-Day Mark Twain-Style adventure. The film begins when Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from a nursing home to chase his dream of attending the wrestling school of The Salt Water Redneck and becoming a professional wrestler.

Through circumstances beyond their control, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small-time outlaw on the run, becomes Zak’s unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a kind nursing home employee with a story of her own, to join them on their journey.

Writer/directors Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson wrote The Peanut Butter Falcon specifically for Zack Gottsagen, an actor with Down syndrome, after they met him at a camp for actors with disabilities and were inspired by his fierce determination to become a leading man in Hollywood.

Buy Peanut Butter Falcon Now:

The Inspirational and Uplifting Tale Arrives on Digital on November 5 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD November 12 from Lionsgate®

Bring home The Peanut Butter Falcon and celebrate the adventure while diving deeper into the production with a photo gallery and behind-the-scenes featurette. 

BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• Photo Gallery
• “Zack’s Story: The Making of Peanut Butter Falcon” Featurette

Discussion Guide

Want to have a screening of the movie at home? Grab this discussion guide to move your conversation after the movie. You can use it with family or friends!

>>>>>GRAB THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT AT HOME HERE <<<<<

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
There are no “right” or “wrong” answers to questions in this guide. Encourage participants to share their perspectives, even if they differ from the majority. The questions below are ideas to begin your discussion, and you can add and adjust questions based on the direction of your conversation and the interests of your group.

• What moment in the film did you find the most powerful or inspiring? Why?
• What do you hope viewers will take away from the film? How might seeing characters like Zak (and actors like Zack Gottsagen) contribute to public awareness about issues related to Down syndrome?
• There is a powerful scene on the raft where Tyler (played by Shia LeBeouf) scolds Eleanor (played by Dakota Johnson) for the way she treats Zak, highlighting the limitations that people have projected on to him. How does Tyler help him break free of those limitations throughout their friendship? Does his belief in Zak change the way others view him?
• There is a line towards the beginning of the film: “Friends are the family you choose.” This is a theme throughout the film, as Zak eventually refers to Tyler and Eleanor as his family. What are the elements of family the film portrays, whether biological or chosen?
• The character of Eleanor struggles as a mentor to, and advocate for, someone with Down syndrome. Based on your own experience or that of others you may know, what are the most helpful things for personal advocates to do or avoid when communicating with others?
• What else do you feel is important to note about this story?