Netflix documentary film “Will & Harper”, which was released on last Friday, follows a little road journey of one famous American comedian and his transgender friend. Simply focusing the frank and earnest interactions between them, the documentary gives us a series of poignant personal moments to observe, and these touching moments will probably make you reflect more on the civil and human rights of many transgender folks out there.

That American comedian in question is Will Ferrell, who incidentally participated in the production of the documentary as one of its co-producers. For many years, he has been a close friend to a writer named Harper Steele, who was crucial for Ferrell’s early stardom when they were the employees of “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) during the 1990s. During their first years at SNL, nobody paid much attention to Ferrell, but Steele, who was Andrew during that period, saw the considerable comic potential from Ferrell as one of the SNL staff writers, and that eventually led to the beginning of Ferrell’s stardom in TV and movie.

Not long after when “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (2020), which was co-written by Steele, was released on Netflix in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Steele sent an e-mail to Ferrell and several other close friends of hers. For many years, Steele had been quite conflicted about her sexual identity (She even married and had two daughters, for example), but she eventually came out of her closet as being quite open about her true sexual identity, and she subsequently took the first step of her following gender transition in addition to changing her first name to Harper.

While being surprised and then gladly accepting his friend’s true sexual identity just like her other close friends, Ferrell was willing to get to know more about his friend, and that was how they came to plan a road trip across the US continent. Quite willing to support his friend, Ferrell also had the crew members of the documentary accompany them during this special road trip, and Steele did not object to this at all while appreciating a sincere and generous gesture of friendship and support from her close friend.

Where they are going to pass or drop by are actually very familiar places to Steele, because she frequently had a road trip across the US continent when she was Andrew. Nevertheless, she cannot help but become nervous at times because she is now an openly transgender woman, and that is the main reason why she is thankful to her friend (and his documentary crew) accompanying her from the beginning to the end.

At the beginning, everything mostly feels fine for both Ferrell and Steele. After Steele picks up Ferrell, they go together to New York City, where they naturally visit several notable SNL figures including Tina Fey and Ron Michaels, who all wholeheartedly greet their old friend without much awkwardness even though she looks quite different from when she presented herself to them as a male. As they casually talk with her and Ferrell, Steele feels a bit better about being herself in public, and she and Ferrell become more relaxed as they are about to go through several more conservative states including Indiana.

And, what do you know, their road trip turns out to be less eventful than expected. While they surely draw a lot of attention as shown from when they go to a National Basketball Association (NBA) game held in Indiana and then watch the whole game on the front row, many of people they come across during their journey are mostly nice to them, but it must be pointed out that Ferrell and his documentary crew often functioned as a sort of public protection for Steele. For instance, they encounter the governor of Indiana in the middle of that NBA game, and the governor does not say anything mean or hateful in front of the camera even though he is an openly anti-transgender Republican politician.

While honestly recognizing the frequent examples of hate and prejudice against Steele and many other transgender people out there, the documentary sometimes surprises us with a number of moving human moments of acceptance and tolerance. Steele’s older sister shows some genuine understanding and support to Steele just like Steele’s two daughters, and there is also a lovely scene where Steele and Ferrell come to have an unexpected moment of hospitality at a bar located somewhere in Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, Steele comes to show more of personal feelings and thoughts insider herself, and Ferrell, who can be often jolly and goofy but is also quite sincere and caring about his friend nonetheless, wisely steps aside for listening more to his friend. Not long after they eventually arrive in California, they drop by a shabby abandoned house bought by Steele several years ago, and Steele quietly and bitterly confides to her friend on how this house could have been a little private place where she could be a lot more comfortable with who she is.

In conclusion, “Will & Harper”, which is directed by Josh Greenbaum (He previously directed “Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar” (2021), by the way), presents Steele and her longtime friendship with Ferrell with lots of care and respect. Although this is a rather modest personal documentary which shows nothing new for the members of LBTGQ+ communities like me, it succeeds as much as intended in my trivial opinion, and I sincerely wish that Steele and Ferrell’s beautiful friendship in the documentary can actually change the mind of many people in the serious need of watching it right now.