Cas & Dylan - A Movie Review

The best way to get unstuck is by talking about it.

Cas & Dylan drove into theaters in 2013. Cas is a dying doctor who inadvertently winds up on an unexpected adventure with Dylan, a 22-year-old woman with no filter. As they embark on the road, they learn more about each other and life.

This is the right film to start the new year with. Cas & Dylan is a funny, sweet, and poignant film about road travel and unexpected friendship. The story is written well and contains some of the most underrated comedy in my opinion. If you ever feel stuck with a story or in life, don’t be afraid to talk about it.

Tatiana Maslany and Richard Dreyfuss are the ultimate tag team as they get under each other's last nerve or learn from each other in this adventure. They have remarkable chemistry and built a genuine bond.

I want to know how much they improvised because they have some pretty funny conversations. The film covers everything in their dynamic. Taste in music, how they’ve grown up, and setting rules along the drive. One of the rules is no talking. It’s hilariously broken.

Dylan is an unfiltered, curious, and disorderly young woman who is trying to gain a fresh start. She enjoys breaking the rules but Dylan looks out for herself. Maslany did an outstanding job in the role, proving that she is a better person than she thought.

As for Dreyfuss, he is a funny comedic actor. Cas doesn’t have much time and refuses to invest in Dylan. Turns out, he needed to learn a lesson about friendship. The best scene of all is when Cas stands up for Dylan.

Side characters are always fun, especially in travel films. You always need to make the best out of small roles in which these actors succeed. The guy who mistakes Dylan for a prostitute is the funniest character! Cas and Dylan spend one night with an elderly couple named Jack and Rose (sound familiar?).

Cas & Dylan explores generation friendships - on the road. Road travel films are my favorite! Driving is the best form of travel. Whether you want to or not, it’s a time to have an assortment of conversations. Filmmakers found the best road settings with mountains, lakes, and towns. The car used in the film is not your generic car.

The screenplay, written by Jessie Gabe strikes a delicate balance of clever humor to the solemn theme of Cas’s terminal illness. Dark comedy is used to its ultimate advantage. Writing Cas’s letter is one of the best examples of its uses.

This movie does something different that more stories need to take advantage of. It starts in the middle. Cas & Dylan never lags, taking new risks. The characters are briefly separated but it’s not long until they’re reunited.

The film maintains a sense of urgency throughout. In his directorial debut, Jason Priestley did an outstanding job. It has reminiscent themes of Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987), another favorite travel film of mine.

One of the best pieces of advice from this film is that we’re allowed to mess up, especially in our 20s. We’ll figure out our lives. Here’s one of the film’s best lines, if you make a difference in someone’s life, your life has meaning. Friendship is a gift. You never know how long you’ll know anybody. Generational friendships are so important and this film does its duty.

Cas & Dylan is a poignant and hilarious adventure about friendship. I highly recommend it. Check it out on Amazon Prime.