Come as You Are
A comedy about guys trying to get laid. Haven’t we already seen that? “American Pie,” “Porky’s,” anyone?
But wait, this is different. Richard Wong’s “Come as You Are,” based on a true story, is about three disabled men who are looking for dignity in a world that can often be harsh for those with disabilities.
Wong (director of the cult film “Colma: The Musical”), a San Francisco native who lives in the Richmond District, has made a career out of making humanistic films about those on the margins of mainstream society, and this remake of a 2011 Belgian film, “Hasta la Vista,” takes viewers on not just a scenic tour from Colorado to Montreal, but also a journey through our own misperceptions, assumptions and prejudices.
Scotty (Grant Rosenmeyer), a paraplegic from birth, is a foulmouthed 20something white guy who lives with his overbearing mother ( Janeane Garofalo), who must dress and feed him. Matt (Hayden Szeto), about the same age, is of Asian ethnicity and is a former athlete who has recently begun using a wheelchair (the reason becomes clear in the latter part of the film), living with his parents and sister. Mo (Ravi Patel), of South Asian ethnicity, is in his 30s and blind.
They meet at a physical therapy center, where they spend their days hanging out between therapy sessions. The guys have the usual malecentric discussions, including about their resignation to being lifelong virgins. One day, Scotty finds out about a brothel in Montreal that specifically caters to men with disabilities. He persuades the other two to secretly hire a special needs van and a driver (Gabourey Sidibe) and sneak out of their respective houses and hit the road.
And so begins a journey of selfdiscovery, independence and suspense — the men’s respective parents combine forces to try to track down their sons. As they stop at gas stations, restaurants, motels and even a hip jazz club in Chicago, the four confront prejudice — both because of their disabilities and their respective ethnicities.
If I make it sound preachy, it’s not. This is a funny and moving crowdpleaser — a South by Southwest and Sundance selection, it won the audience award at the Napa Valley Film Festival and was an opening night film at SF IndieFest — and it goes down easy.
Wong draws skilled performances out of a talented cast, and the end of the film, when they finally get to the brothel, is delicately and unpredictably handled. Crass and confrontational at the outset, “Come as You Are” achieves a winning sense of vulnerability.