Couldn’t we all just use some positivity today? It feels like it’s not all that common to find a feel-good movie that isn’t also an outright comedy, and, given the state of things, shouldn’t there be an abundance of that type of content? For something that fits that bill perfectly, look no further than Better Nate Than Ever, a new musical that comes to Disney+ this week…
Better Nate Than Ever is an adaptation of a popular 2013 novel by author Tim Federle, who also directs, following his official debut behind the camera with High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special. I wasn’t familiar with the Nate series before this, which includes two sequels and a handful of praise from big names like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alan Menken, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise based on those endorsements that this is a Broadway-centric flick, one that follows a thirteen-year-old boy named Nate (Rueby Wood, in a fantastic film debut after playing the title role in the national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) who won’t let anything stop him from taking the chance of a lifetime to audition for a Broadway show.
This concept feels humorously dated, since Nate lives in today’s world and has a shockingly easy time getting to New York City without any adult supervision, at which point he is able to sneak into an audition and get noticed due to his pure and uncensored energy. That works to the film’s advantage, since it’s easy to root for Nate, someone who doesn’t fit in at home and even seems like an overachiever among other theater enthusiasts, but who comes to it with such a passion and purpose that you just want him to succeed.
There are a few familiar names in the cast, like Lisa Kudrow and Norbert Leo Butz, but this is mainly Wood’s show, with Aria Brooks, who has already impressed an impressive resume across different arts, lending terrific support opposite him as his best friend Libby. While Nate hasn’t yet acknowledged that he is gay, his identity is a big part of the film and it’s wonderful to see that on full display here in a film from Disney, which recently has had trouble supporting the LGBTQ+ population. This film is light and fun, but it doesn’t need to be anything else, ready to infuse some inclusive joy and happiness in a world that sometimes feels as small and intimate as Nate’s adventures here do. B
Better Nate Than Ever premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, April 1st