The trailer for Me And Earl And The Dying Girl will lift you up, so it can crush you

Me And Earl And The Dying Girl won the mother lode at Sundance, capturing the Dramatic Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for the U.S. Dramatic competition. And what’s not to like? Greg, a creative, but somewhat selfish teen, is forced by his parents to befriend Rachel, a classmate suffering from leukemia. Later, Greg is compelled to by his friend Earl to collaborate on a film for Rachel. Greg finds himself enjoying Rachel’s company, but doesn’t seem to be able to fully engage in the seriousness of her one-way journey through cancer. Critics praise the movie for being able to move beyond the familiar, heartstring-pulling synopsis and find a deeper story.

Meanwhile, that praise isn’t going to help you get through the trailer. After quickly throwing out the notion that this is a rehash of cancer-romances like The Fault In Our Stars and Dying Young, the story zooms in on the growing friendship between Greg and Rachel. Layers of emotional commitment are peeled back, and when the trailer stops just short of an inevitable conclusion spoiled by the movie’s title, it’s not clear if Greg is going to get past his own doubts and selfishness in time to realize what Rachel’s friendship means. Basically: expect crying, and lots of it.

[Via Deadline]