DVD Review: What Goes Up: Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Thirlby, Josh Peck, Max Hoffman, Andrea Brooks, Ingrid Nilson, Laura Konechny, Sarah Lind, Molly Price, Kendra Sue Waldman, Jonathan Glatzer, Anthony Miranda, Jack Nasser, James Hoke, Joseph Nahas, Robert Lawson: Movies & TV

Jun19

DVD Review: What Goes Up: Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Thirlby, Josh Peck, Max Hoffman, Andrea Brooks, Ingrid Nilson, Laura Konechny, Sarah Lind, Molly Price, Kendra Sue Waldman, Jonathan Glatzer, Anthony Miranda, Jack Nasser, James Hoke, Joseph Nahas, Robert Lawson: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 19 June, 07:44 AM

Product Description
Starring Steve Coogan and Hilary Duff, What Goes Up takes a comedic look at life, love and all the chaos in between. Also starring Olivia Thirlby and Josh Peck. When a group of teenage social misfits befriends jaded journalist Campbell Babbitt (Coogan), who’s on assignment in their small New Hampshire town, they each find themselves searching for meaning and truth in their crazy, mixed-up lives. But as Babbitt gets to know these eccentric kids better — their hidden secrets begin to rise to the surface, changing each other’s lives forever.

Surprised and Grateful,

By Dirk Diggler “painkiller” (california) -

At first, I wasn’t sure where it was going… Up, down or just sideways. But soon, I realized the filmmakers were creating a world that resembled reality far more than almost any movie I’ve seen in that there are collisions between events, intentions, characters, loves, hates …and the whole stew can be hysterically funny, odd, disturbing, heartbreaking and then funny all over again. In this way, I have to give the film enormous credit and gratitude that it does not try to be like every other movie. It does not talk down to its audience.

It takes place in 1986 in the days before the Challenger Shuttle blew up, but the themes of heroism and unexpected tragedy play out in subtle and clever ways. I think the critics who didn’t like this movie are used to following very well paved roads with well defined markers. This movie follows its characters first to last and that can make it bumpy and twisty and ultimately, so much better. And because the characters are so three dimensional, the markers which we expect only come if the characters lead us there. They do in the end. The director lands us where we need to be. But along the way, we are on ground which is just as unsettled as the characters who turn to ridiculous methods to lessen the pain of losing someone they loved in their lives. If you’re willing to walk this unsettled ground, it’s well worth the ride. The performances are outstanding, especially Steve Coogan and Olivia Thirlby. If, on the other hand, you need to be spoon-fed or for your plots to be singular and instantly identifiable, you will probably hate it. You kind of have to give in to it and then the doors open and the characters and the overall tone of the film resonates. It WILL make you laugh and cry.

I saw this at a promotional screening. It was mostly filled with Hilary Duff fans. I am not one, but am much more so now. She does wonderfully well as the Lolita wannabe seductress. Again, the character is so finely drawn that some might think since she’s not a successful seducer, the character and the movie leave you hanging. It’s really the opposite. It’s her lack of success which makes her character so compelling. In many ways you can say the same about the movie as a whole. It plays its own game according to the rules which govern human behavior, not conventional plot points. This results in an awkwardness which is much more real and much more satisfying than just about anything I’ve seen in some time. I highly recommend.

Hard to summarize a film that is confused itself,

By Steve Kuehl “SLV Video” (Ben Lomond, CA) -

With the following some of the cast members have, I did not have a choice in ordering this. Regardless of the fan following, this film is one of those when the credits roll you ask yourself what just happened in the prior two hours of one’s life.

We have the story of an unethical journalist (Pulitzer candidate that has fabricated his flagship hero story) traveling to New Hampshire in the winter of 1986. He is supposed to be covering the reactions of students at the hometown school of Christa McAuliffe as the Challenger launches. Instead, he becomes entwined in this uncomfortable, dysfunctional and altogether repressed group of teens who were being managed by his (now) dead friend. The original theatrical cut was 104 minutes but this one times in at 116. For the amount of obscure storytelling and characters, I do not think there is any amount of time that could save this convoluted mess of pedophiles, obscurities and awkward moments.

Some of the filming and music are intriguing and reminiscent of the time, including a cover song by costar Hillary Duff. Main lead Steve Coogan can be better seen in almost anything, same with Molly Shannon. The plot lines are either timed wrong, feel out of place, are irrelevant, or dive too deep into inappropriate relationships and situations. Especially the whole sequence of stealing the coffin of their teacher and partying on an ice lake with it. Or maybe it was the fact the writers made Christa’s hometown feel like it was filled with adolescent lunatics.

The DVD quality is good and showcased the night sky footage adequately, the sound was decent with all of the music mix, but there are no supplements included. I can’t give this a recommendation, but maybe some of the Duff or Thirlby fans will get some meaning out of it. They do keep the Challenger subplot ambiguous in the end, so at least there was some taste to that part of the film.
Search What Goes Up: Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Molly Shannon, Olivia Thirlby, Josh Peck, Max Hoffman, Andrea Brooks, Ingrid Nilson, Laura Konechny, Sarah Lind, Molly Price, Kendra Sue Waldman, Jonathan Glatzer, Anthony Miranda, Jack Nasser, James Hoke, Joseph Nahas, Robert Lawson: Movies & TV from AmAzon

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