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Tribune News Service

“‘Talented musician’” might be a little strong to describe Kristen Wiig; the veteran of American television show Saturday Night Live (SNL) demurs when complimented about her musical chops. So another label will have to do.
How about “Oscar-nominated musician Kristen Wiig”?
It is now a distinct possibility: Netflix says it will campaign for Wiig and co-writer Sean Douglas in the original song category for their folksy comic ditty “Harper and Will Go West” for the documentary Will & Harper.
The film, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, arrives on Netflix on September 27 after a successful run in cinemas.

Will & Harper follows former SNL star Will Ferrell and his friend, long-time SNL writer Harper Steele, on a road trip across the United States after Steele comes out as a trans woman.
Along the way, they meet trans people carving out a life in small-town America, discuss the challenges Steele faced pre- and post-transition and much more.

In 'Will & Harper,' long-time friends and comedic collaborators Will Ferrell and Harper Steele reconnect and embark on a transformative 17-day trek across the United States.
Read the digital cover story: https://t.co/4pEhgaiAkg pic.twitter.com/kRphEuNHfF
— Netflix Queue (@netflixqueue) August 28, 2024

They also park their classic Jeep Wagoneer and have Wiig, via FaceTime, write a “tear-to-your-eye, fun, uptempo, jazzy with a little country” theme song for their journey.
The resulting number, filmed in Wiig’s back garden and played on ukulele and saxophone, combines humour – the opening verse rhymes the song’s title with the phrase “a couple brand new breasts” – and heartfelt emotion (“A friend is a friend is a friend … ’til the end”) in a way that reflects the film as a whole.
“It was kind of like this funny thing when they called me saying they wanted it to be all these different types of music,” laughs Wiig, who studied piano and sang in church and school choirs as a child, before taking up the ukulele in recent years.

Will Ferrell hopes his Sundance documentary “Will & Harper” is a “guidebook” for conversation about trans issues. The road trip film featuring Ferrell’s longtime friend Harper Steele comes as YouTube star Mr. Beast has similarly supported a friend who transitioned. pic.twitter.com/e4qfB6N5Ax
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) January 23, 2024

But instead of a full-on spoof, she, Douglas and the film’s director, Josh Greenbaum, decided to “steer away from something too jokey”.
“We just wanted a nice song for the two of them.”
Songs with humorous elements have previously broken into the Oscars’ original song category.
The film academy famously nominated the satirical, profanity-laden “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut in 2000 and has more recently tapped the likes of “Husavik”, from the 2020 comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” and “I’m Just Ken”, from the 2023 blockbuster Barbie.


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American cinema

Netflix backs Kristen Wiig song from Will Ferrell film about pal’s trans journey for Oscar

Will Ferrell and Harper Steele in a still from Will & Harper. Harper and Will Go West, a song written for the documentary about being trans in America, mixes humour and emotion, and has Netflix backing to win best original song at the 2025 Academy Awards. Photo: Netflix

Comic actress Kristen Wiig. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

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Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in a still from Maria (category TBC), directed by Pablo Larraín. Photo: Pablo Larraín

Angelina Jolie in a still from Maria, a film about legendary opera singer Maria Callas. Photo: Pablo Larraín

Angelina Jolie in a still from Maria. Photo: Pablo Larraín

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A still from Hello, Grandpa. The documentary traces the journey of Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea, and her special relationship with the zookeeper who raised her, ahead of her relocation to China. Photo: Acomz

An animated scene from Hello, Grandpa. Photo: Acomz

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Lifestyle

Entertainment

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Film & TV

Music

Actress co-wrote comic song Harper and Will Go West for Will & Harper, film of road trip by Ferrell and a pal who comes out as a trans woman


Comic actress co-wrote Harper and Will Go West for Will & Harper, a documentary about fellow Saturday Night Live actor Will Ferrell’s road trip with a friend who comes out as a trans woman.


Academy Awards

Cinema