Grab a friend and enjoy Kristen Wiig’s delightful ditty from Will & Harper. Netflix released the theme song for their hit documentary to mark the film’s streaming debut on the platform. “Will & Harper Go West,” performed by Wiig in the end credits, pays tribute to the enduring friendship of comic Will Ferrell and writer Harper Steele. The film follows the pals on a road trip following Steele’s transition as she gets a taste of life as a woman by visiting all her favourite haunts.
Will & Harper features a running gag in which the friends call Wiig and spring a request on her to pen a jingle for their journey. Wiig awkwardly accepts and then seemingly ghosts them along the way. “Harper & Will” marks a touching finale as their experience together comes full circle. The film provides a warm, funny, and inclusive roadmap for allyship.
Netflix previously announced that it would campaign for the original song written by Wiig and Sean Douglas in the upcoming Academy Awards race. Only one song from a documentary, Melissa Ethridge’s “I Need to Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth, has ever won the prize. Last year, Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson scored a nomination for “It Never Went Away” from Netflix’s American Symphony. Wiig is already hitting the campaign trail, including a surprise performance of the song at the film’s New York premiere. The star previously earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Bridesmaids.
Will & Harper is an audience and critical favourite from the festival circuit this year. The film directed by Josh Greenbaum debuted as one of the standout docs at the Sundance Film Festival and scored the runner-up spot for the People’s Choice Award for documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival this month. Will & Harper is considered a strong contender in the Oscar race, although the doc branch shut out streamers and celebrity-driven docs last year. The film also faces international competition with Netflix contenders Daughters, which both The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have tapped to win, and Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, so Wiig may be the film’s best bet on the awards front. The Oscar shortlists, which advance 15 docs and songs, will be announced on December 17.
Will & Harper is now streaming on Netflix.
