Aside from films like Dope and the near-empty attendance of Jupiter Ascending, Sundance attendees couldn’t stop raving about Me and Earl and The Dying Girl. The movie won top honors at the film festival earlier this year, and now it has its first trailer.

The film, from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (American Horror Story), is based on the Jesse Andrews novel of the same name, which centers around a film obsessed high school senior forced to interact with a classmate who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. Hit the jump to check it out.

Thomas Mann (Project X, Beautiful Creatures) is the gawky anti-social high school senior who prides himself in making stupid new titles for Criterion Collection films, and then making parodies to reflect that title. When he is asked to talk to a classmate (Olivia Cooke) of his, a relationship starts to blossom. The film also stars Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Jon Bernthal, Molly Shannon, and newcomer RJ Cyler.

Here’s the official plot synopsis,

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL is the uniquely funny, moving story of Greg (Thomas Mann), a high school senior who is trying to blend in anonymously, avoiding deeper relationships as a survival strategy for navigating the social minefield that is teenage life. He even describes his constant companion Earl (RJ Cyler), with whom he makes short film parodies of classic movies, as more of a “˜co-worker’ than a best friend. But when Greg’s mom (Connie Britton) insists he spend time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke) – a girl in his class who has just been diagnosed with cancer – he slowly discovers how worthwhile the true bonds of friendship can be.

While these kinds of movies always have a way of reaching that emotional center, this looks like it works on so many levels. It feels like a love letter to those who have a passion for watching or making their own films, but it also is incredibly moving because of the relationships and character development.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl opens in theaters on June 12th.

Trailer

[Source: FoxSearchlight]