Will Ferrell’s first Netflix movie made me hate him – Will & Harper changed that

The film is a beautiful, funny and nuanced conversation between two friends(Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)

I have never been a fan of Will Ferrell. 

It’s mainly because I found his Icelandic accent in Netflix’s Eurovision film a horrific murder of my culture — but I have an entirely newfound respect for him.

Yesterday, I watched Will & Harper, his new documentary – also on Netflix – that sees him taking a road trip with one of his oldest friends, Harper, after she came out as trans. 

I got a sense from the trailer that this film would be a celebration of their friendship, but on watching it, it is so much more than that. 

It is a beautiful, funny and nuanced conversation between two friends, and tells the story of not just Harper going through a journey, but also her dear friend. 

Seeing a typical straight cisgender man be so accepting and understanding of trans people is incredibly powerful and impactful. This is especially true, in the current climate, where my community is constantly demonised and debated. 

By allowing us all to accompany their journey, Will and Harper have done the world a great service. They’ve given such valuable insight into what it is like to come out as trans and the reality of our lives.

When I came out, it was something I had been considering for years until it got to the point that it was a step I was ready to take. 

My family then had to go on their own journey. To them, it was a surprise, and something they needed to digest. 

Thankfully, they were supportive and managed to wrap their heads around it, and today it couldn’t be more natural for them to see me as who I am. 

But they needed that time to process it. I was happy to see Harper’s family rally around her but it doesn’t mean that all of them didn’t go through a similar process. 

For many trans people – Harper included – there is the fear that our family and friends will no longer love us. 

When I came out, it was something I had been considering for years (Picture: Ugla Stefania Kristjonudottir Jonsdottir)

When my partner came out as trans, their mum became very distressed about what to say and do. 

It wasn’t until she saw other people being supportive of my partner that she understood that she could be as well. And today, she is their biggest champion and advocate.

She realised, like Harper’s sister, that pretending to be someone you’re not had caused them so much pain for so many years. 

Sometimes, people need to see someone they relate to support something so that they themselves can understand it – and I think Ferrell will be that someone for so many people tuning in to Will & Harper. 

It’s enough to make me forgive his horrendous Icelandic accent in Fire Saga. 

Ferrell using his massive platform to spread love and understanding sure is a lot more respectable than those who have used theirs to relentlessly spread division and hate. 

To see him being so open and honest about feeling nervous and worried about how to communicate with Harper once she came out, and how much their relationship would change, was important. 

There’s a scene where the pair discuss that there are no rules or right or wrong things to say or do – and it’s true. 

Not everyone is going to be immediately confident in how to react to their newly-out trans friend or family member, and Will Ferrell has assured us that that’s OK, as long as you have good intentions. 

And Ferrell has proved throughout, that he is a staunch supporter of his friend.  

In interviews following the film Ferrell has said: ‘If the trans community is a threat to you, then it stems from not being confident or safe with yourself.’ 

There’s a scene where the pair discuss that there are no rules or right or wrong things to say or do – and it’s true (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

With that, he hit the nail on the head. This is something I’ve said often, and I feel that many people who spend their time saying abusive and disrespectful things about trans people aren’t happy in their lives. 

From what I’ve seen from abusive people online, it’s also never just one thing with them — they often also express problematic and bigoted opinions about other groups or issues, and often seem to have alienated friends and family with their behaviour. 

So I genuinely believe that anti-trans views stem from a place of misery and hurt that people haven’t dealt with within themselves. 

We can see clearly in the film how ridiculous and outrageous the abuse is that Harper receives online, the day after she appears publicly in the steak house.

It sadly is the everyday life of a trans person on social media and it’s incredibly sad that people find it acceptable to say those things. 

Will and Harper have done the world a great service (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)

But what Ferrell shows so clearly is how simple it is to show trans people some basic respect, and how having a trans person in your life can really alter your view and allow you to see them as a person who deserves understanding, compassion and love. 

Another stand out moment is when Ferrell meets the governor of Indiana and takes a photo with him, before realising that he had signed an anti-trans bill. His regret at not addressing that showed him thinking in real time about what it means to be an ally and stand up for trans people. 

What is so evident in this film is how coming out as trans immediately puts you at risk in society, and this is shown quite clearly in Harper’s fear in visiting bars and places like she used to. 

Even if her experience turns out to be a positive, there is a real reason for her fear — as available research shows that trans people are often victims of violence and hate crimes. 

The moment they share together crying in the car afterwards, where Harper shares how her fear also stems from shame about who she is, really shows how Ferrell understands her experience on a deeper level than before. 

After watching this film, all this talk about all trans people being a ‘threat’ seems to be white noise based on fear and bigotry, and we as a country and as a world truly need to stop accepting it as a reasonable point of view. Because it’s not at all. 

When we look back at this time in the future, we will look at it with horror, and be thankful that there were people like Harper who stepped out and told her story. 

And hopefully, we’ll find Ferrell’s reaction to be such a given; we’ll be accustomed to others behaving like him, and supporting their trans friends so clearly. 

Because it’s not just the right thing to do — it’s the human thing to do. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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