Upon my first time seeing a trailer for this film, I was immediately delighted with the prospect of Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart teaming up on the big screen. And, while it may seem to be an odd pairing on paper, the duo worked about as well as I hoped they would.
"The Upside" tells the story of wealthy businessman Phillip Lacasse (played by Cranston) and his improbable relationship with ex-con Dell Scott (played by Hart). Phillip experienced an unfortunate accident that left him with quadriplegia, while Dell has had a tough time staying out of legal trouble as well as prison. Upon being granted parole, Dell struggles to search for employment, while Philip is searching for a “life auxiliary” to help him do all of the things his daily commitments require of him. While conducting interviews to fill the position with his manager of business affairs Yvonne (played by the ageless and timeless Nicole Kidman), Phillip takes to how different Dell is from all other applicants met with to that point. Against Yvonne’s advice, Phillip decides to hire Dell, setting off a chain of events that brings all parties involved closer together.
Their story entails a similar dynamic to the one in "Green Book," with each character learning more about who they themselves are through getting to know the other. The chemistry between Cranston and Hart is palpable throughout, making for some very funny as well as gut-wrenching moments between the two.
The film does a good job of getting its audience to invest in each individual’s story, garnering our attention out of pure desire to find out how everybody got to where they are and whether change is attainable. We find ourselves cheering for both men and even most auxiliary characters we meet throughout the movie. The Upside is another feel good movie that exemplifies just how capable we are of finding common ground, not despite; but, as a RESULT of better understanding our differences. It is as lighthearted as it is moving; and, while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend rushing to spend almost two hours to watch it in theaters, it gets 3 reps out of 5 for being thoroughly enjoyable throughout.
I would also like to shed some light on an aspect of this and other similar projects that we as moviegoers may not be aware of. While Bryan Cranston is an exceptional actor and does a wonderful job here, there are several people who firmly believe the role he played should have been filled by an actor who himself suffers from paraplegia. The reasoning behind this line of thinking is that paraplegic actors have a difficult enough time getting any roles in the business; so, when a role like that of Phillip Lacasse’s opens up, it would seem tailor-made for an actor who can relate to the character in a way that non-paraplegics simply cannot. Now, while Cranston’s possibly turning down the role would not have guaranteed a paraplegic actor’s getting it, there is still much left to be desired about the efforts made within the movie industry to employ more such actors. Cranston’s name certainly increases the film’s hype; but, the story is inspiring in and of itself; and, having hired a paraplegic actor for the role could have done much more good for this group of actors than it would have hurt a film that could have conceivably been just as good, if not better, with a different type of actor. While many great strides have been made within the film industry to be more inclusive of different types of actors, there are still many more to be made; and, to do so will take a concerted effort from creators and fans alike.
How big did you think this film’s upside was?
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