My Review Of “The Upside”: Laughing While Looking For The Upside In Life
“The Upside” is loosely based on a true story, as well as the 2011 French film “The Intouchables” stars Bryan Cranston who stars as Phillip Lacasse a wealthy man who became quadriplegic due to a paragliding accident. Kevin Hart plays opposite him as his caregiver Dell Scott, who is an ex-con. This dramedy revolves around the friendship that develops between these two unlikely men who come from very different backgrounds. It shows that with time, and by being open positive changes can be made. Even before it was released in theaters, the new film received its fair share of criticism from a number of disability advocates on social media. The main controversy stems from the fact that it’s yet another example of an able-bodied actor playing a disabled character.
I was not sure what I would think of the movie when I read some of the reviews by disabled advocates. At first glance, it seemed like the narrative was going to be an overly cynical man in a wheelchair who learns to appreciate life when his new caregiver cheers him up. Seeing that was based on a true story, I figured I would give it a shot. I saw it with a close friend who also was one of my Personal Care Assistants in college, and we each liked the movie for several reasons.
The film is definitely “laugh- out-loud” funny. In an early scene in which Phillip interviews a dozen or so hilariously inept candidates to be his new caregiver, one of them confidently proclaims that he doesn’t like the term “disability,” but that he prefers to say “differently abled.” Later on, when Phillip and Dell go to a hotdog stand downtown, the man behind the counter takes Dell’s order and asks him, “And what will he have?”, referring to Phillip. “Uh, ask him,” Dell replies. There are definitely points in a movie that gain a deeper appreciation or meaning if you have experienced them first hand.
Some critics referred to a scene where Dell learns how to put on Phillip’s catheter as less cringe-worthy than they expected, but I commend the filmmakers for including this scene. Another part of the storyline that stood out to me was after Dell began working for Phillip he continued mail correspondence with Lily, after some time they agreed to meet. With some apprehension, Phillip asks Dell if he should have revealed his disability, to which Dell tells him that if this meant to be his being in a wheelchair will not matter.
When they met up for dinner, Lily reveals that she knew that he was in a wheelchair because of some of his pictures and looking into more of his background by searching online. I was surprised at first how comfortable she seemed because in my experience it seemed to be unrealistic. Soon, things take a turn for the worse at dinner and Phillip becomes uncomfortable and very upset. In turn, he then lashes out at Dell and the other people that are closest to him. It is often easier to lash out at the people that you are closest to because you have a certain comfort level and those people tend to take on more than others typically would. It is important to remember how vital good communication is in any type of relationship. The movie ends in a way that I took to be symbolic of the growth within their friendship, and in trusting one another. All in all, I think that “The Upside” is a movie that is worth watching for the laughs and raising awareness to make you think along the way.
