Watch the emotional, hilarious ‘SNL’ reunion

In an extraordinary vote of confidence in American taste – and progress – is the beautiful, hilarious and incredibly powerful documentary Will & Harper has been one of Netflix’s top 10 most-watched films since its premiere on the platform on Friday.

The road trip film follows Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, one of Ferrell’s closest friends since her time Saturday Night Liveas they cross the country to get reacquainted after Harper’s transition. The praise the film received after its premiere at Sundance in January has been unanimously confirmed since it became available to stream. It’s a candid look at how people in different parts of the country feel about the transgender community and how a transgender person expects to feel both finally free and sometimes marginalized in public.

Thanks to Ferrell’s, and especially Steele’s, candor and humor, the film manages to be remarkably accessible and entertaining, while also being educational in a way that, at the risk of sounding trite or exaggerated, could well save lives. A key to the film’s accessibility is its familiarity. This begins, of course, with Ferrell, who proves to be an exceptional audience surrogate, approaching his questions and conversations with Steele with the sensitive curiosity – and mischievous sharpness – necessary to open the astonishing dialogue that runs through the film .

But the familiarity doesn’t end with Ferrell. His and Steele’s SNL Colleagues appear throughout the film, offering their honest opinions about how they reacted when Steele told them she was in transition, and an open-minded and, again key, humorous wish She wanted to develop herself while being as curious as anyone would know about how Steele handles things and what the road trip experience will be like for her. The normalization of curiosity is one of the most striking things that emerges Will & Harperand the fact that such recognizable people please an institution SNL are participants is invaluable.

This excerpt from the film features a reunion between Steele and some of the well-known actors he worked with SNL. It takes place at 30 Rock at the beginning of the documentary, just before Ferrell and Steele embark on the journey. Tina Fey, Paula Pell, Colin Jost and Tim Meadows talk to them about their expectations and fears. It is so beautiful that it becomes emotional to watch, a wonderful, exuberant demonstration of acceptance.

During their road trip, Ferrell and Steele meet others SNL Alumni. When they reach Santa Fe, they take a hot air balloon ride with Will Forte, who, as Steele revealed in a recent episode Las Culturistas Podcast, took on a battle with planes, trains and automobiles to toast them and this experience.

When they finally reach Los Angeles, the two go for a pedicure with Molly Shannon to catch up on everything that happened on the trip. If you’ve ever watched an interview with Shannon or been lucky enough to chat with her, you know that there are few people better able to relate to every single detail – and more importantly, every emotion – to remember an experience with Shannon and to review it again.

And if you happened to be watching Will & Harper They are already aware of the surprising musical role Kristen Wiig plays in it and are patiently waiting for her to receive her deserved Oscar for it.