Netflix has been throwing its weight around in a major way over the last couple of years, but they seem to save their biggest guns for Sundance. At this year's festival they shelled out a reported $7M to acquire the buzz-worthy road trip dramedy The Fundamentals of Caring, and based on the cast of Paul Rudd, Selena Gomez, and Craig Roberts (Submarine), and the newly-released trailer it's easy to see why.
Directed by Rob Burnett, the film stars Rudd as Ben, a newbie caregiver whose first gig is caring for 18-year-old Trevor (Roberts), a foul-mouthed kid with muscular dystrophy. Despite Trevor humiliating him at every turn, the two hit it off and Ben decides to take him on a road trip to see all of the odd roadside attractions he's only been able to read about. Gomez plays a street-smart hitchhiker they pick up along the way, and the trio form a little makeshift family while touring America.
Was the investment worth it, though? I saw the film in Park City and felt it was schmaltzy with little else to offer. But if it gets people watching and subscribing that's all Netflix will care about. The Fundamentals of Caring debuts on June 24th.
