THE STORY – Mistreated by people unable to cope with his unique visible difference, actor Adam Pearson glimpses a path away from isolation through his love of cinema. Upon meeting kindred spirit Ellie – a girl who shares his genetic condition, NF1 – their quest begins to forge a new type of movie hero, and finally press play on life.
THE CAST – Adam Pearson
THE TEAM – Edward Lovelace (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 87 Minutes
“Zero Intention of Living Quietly” explores the life of actor Adam Pearson (“A Different Man,” “Under the Skin”), who was born with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a condition that caused noncancerous tumors to grow across his face. Director Edward Lovelace combines interviews with Pearson, super-8 film of Pearson’s childhood, and intimate behind-the-scenes footage from Pearson’s day-to-day life with clips from films as varied as “Frozen,” “Carrie,” “Forrest Gump,” and “The Elephant Man” to explore the sometimes contradictory role film has played in Pearson’s life. Film provided Pearson’s childhood bullies with additional ammunition for their taunts, but also inspired Pearson to embrace his differences and embark upon a screen career that would in turn help him inspire others who are struggling the way Pearson was. The documentary rarely treads new ground, and even the film’s polished visuals and the warmth Pearson exudes during his interviews can’t fully overcome the film’s relative lack of depth. Still, it is impossible not to be moved by Pearson’s story.
“Zero Intention of Living Quietly” is mostly dedicated to the struggles Pearson faced in the years leading up to the release of Aaron Schimberg’s “A Different Man,” for which Pearson earned Gotham Award and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Lovelace utilizes Super-8 footage from Pearson’s childhood to showcase the progression of Pearson’s condition, from its first barely noticeable signs to the tumors that eventually covered much of his face. Lovelace also weaves in clips from “Carrie” and “The Elephant Man” to emphasize the way cinema provided additional obstacles in Pearson’s life. During Pearson’s childhood, the release of “The Elephant Man” provided Pearson’s bullies with a ready-made nickname. As an adult, Pearson’s breakout turn across from Scarlett Johansson in Jonathan Glazer’s “Under the Skin,” brought him his first public acclaim, but also public scrutiny that nearly drove him away from acting.
At the same time, Lovelace explores how film gives Pearson the chance to transform himself, and to serve as a role model to others who are similarly struggling. Pearson’s initial visibility in “Under the Skin” introduces him to Ellie, a young girl with NF1, whose mother hopes that Pearson might be able to offer guidance and support as Ellie’s symptoms become more visible as she enters her teenage years. Pearson offers Lovelace and cinematographer Ruben Woodin Dechamps intimate access to real-life footage of Pearson and Ellie at their most vulnerable. There is a rawness to these scenes where Pearson struggles with trying to comfort Ellie, while also seeking to be honest about the reality of his own experiences that, when contrasted with the charisma Pearson displays during behind-the-scenes footage of “A Different Man,” occasionally takes the film beyond the feel-good state that it is content to operate within most of the time. Lovelace intertwines clips from films like “Frozen” and “Forrest Gump,” with this footage to explore cinema’s power to inspire people to embrace their differences. Woodin Dechamps ensures that this real-life footage is better-shot than many documentaries, particularly when his cinematography mirrors the aesthetics of some of the films that have been entangled with Pearson’s life, including ample use of magic-hour exterior lighting and neon-lit interiors.
At the same time, the film struggles to find somewhere to go once it has established Pearson’s early struggles, and the important place he holds in Ellie’s life. “Zero Intention” ends with the triumphant release of “A Different Man,” which feels, in many ways, like just the start of an exciting career. Despite running less than ninety minutes, “Zero Intention of Living Quietly” starts to drag as it repeatedly circles the same points, without much interest in digging deeper.
Pearson’s story is undoubtedly worth telling, but one wishes “Zero Intention of Living Quietly” had found more to say about it. With Pearson’s career still gathering momentum, there will certainly be more chapters to follow. For now, the result is a warm, visually polished portrait of a talented actor, but one that too often feels like the first segment of what will be a more interesting documentary.
