Will Ferrell's '‘Will & Harper' is a celebrity travelogue with a gender-nonconforming twist

Have camera, will travel.

That, it seems, has become the mantra for Hollywood’s rich and famous lately, be they A-list, B-list or somewhere closer to Z-list.

Ever since the 2018 death of Anthony Bourdain, streaming service after streaming service has proven all too willing to throw large amounts of cash at any celebrity or semi-celebrity willing to allow a camera crew to accompany them on vacation.

The only requirements: a modicum of name recognition, a passport and a pathological craving for your approval.

Stanley Tucci took us to the old country for “The Heart of Italy” (Nat Geo). Eugene Levy took us around the world in “The Reluctant Traveler” (AppleTV+). Conan O’Brien took us to Zanytown in “Conan O’Brien Must Go” (Max).

MacCauley Culkin, Ewan McGregor, Zac Efron, Chris Hemsworth, Jason Momoa. All have done the dance, to varying degrees of watchability.

So when Will Ferrell’s “Will & Harper” was announced by Netflix, you could be forgiven for thinking, “Uh-oh. Here we go again.”

Not so fast.

“Will & Harper,” it turns out, ain’t your garden-variety celebrity travelogue.

Ordinarily, what we’ve come to expect from such excursions is an easy-to-digest dose of vicarious living, delivered alongside sun-dappled views of far-flung locales introduced cheerfully by the familiar face du jour.

But the journey in “Will & Harper” is not merely a geographical one. Nor is it a cultural or a culinary one.

It is an intensely personal one, and, as such, it lands with unusual resonance and relevance.

Granted, goofball Will Ferrell is front and center â€" with the occasional drop-ins from his comedian friends â€" so it’s often funny, to boot. But, more importantly, it is meaningful, which helps set it apart from the crowded celebrity travelogue crowd.

The premise: Ferrell hits the road for a cross-country trip intended to reconnect him with old friend and former “Saturday Night Live” head writer Andrew Steele.

Except Andrew Steele isn’t Andrew anymore. She isn’t a “he” anymore, either.

During the COVID pandemic, she came out to her friends and family as a transgender woman. Armed with a new name â€" Harper, after author Harper Lee â€" she has been living as a woman ever since.

For his part, Ferrell has admitted he previously knew next to nothing of the trans community. He did know, however, that he loves his old friend dearly. So, in what ends up as a twin display of compassion and personal growth, he agreed to hit the road with Harper to learn.

And learn, he does. We do, too.

It doesn’t always go smoothly, though.

There are thoughtful moments. There are tender moments. There are funny moments. But there are also troubling moments, such as when an in-full-schtick Ferrell â€" hyperfocused on getting a laugh â€" unintentionally puts Harper in an uncomfortable, potentially dangerous situation at a restaurant in Amarillo, Texas.

The emotional conversation to follow, however, also proves to be a learning moment.

And therein lies the real value of “Will & Harper.”

Yes, it gets waylaid here and there by a smattering of overly performative set-ups, such as a gratuitous scene at the film’s outset where seemingly every willing “SNL” face gathers for a pre-trip sendoff.

(By the way, could Lorne Michaels be more uncomfortable hugging Steele?)

Similarly, a scene in which Ferrell and Steele set up folding chairs for a conversation in a Wal-Mart parking lot feels overly orchestrated and thus artificial.

That said, “Will & Harper” boasts authenticity where it matters most.

It also boasts acceptance, love and generosity of spirit, all enhanced by a pervasive sense of good humor.

Oh, and by a sweet original ditty, “Will & Harper Go West,” written and performed by “SNL” alum Kristen Wiig, who, it turns out, is even more talented than we thought.

That is the kind of celebrity travelogue we could use more of â€" because, unlike many of its predecessors, this is a trip worth taking.

Mike Scott can be reached at moviegoermike@gmail.com.

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WILL & HARPER

3 stars, out of 4

SNAPSHOT: Comic actor Will Ferrell hits the open road for a documentary in which he reconnects with a former “Saturday Night Live” head writer who is also one of his oldest friends â€" and, until recently, a man.

FEATURING: Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig.

DIRECTOR: Josh Greenbaum.

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 1 hour 54 minutes.

WHEN AND WHERE: Currently in theatrical release; begins streaming Sept. 27 on Netflix.