A Retelling With A Lotta [Kevin]Hart
The Upside was directed by Neil Burger and written by Jon Hartmere. It is inspired by the true events of the life of French businessman Philippe Pozzo di Borgo who became a diabetic aquadriplegic in 1993 due to a unfortunate paragliding accident. In the film, Bryan Cranston plays the wealthy quadriplegic Phillip in need of a caregiver and Kevin Hart plays a parolee in desperate need of a job.
Despite the negative feedback from critics, this is a really enjoyable uplifting movie. This story has already been told through various biographical movies internationally such as The Intoucables, Oopiri, and Inseperables which is a main issue the critics seem to have. These films were made made for different audiences, with that in mind, this adaptation is definitely for an American audience. While the story is mainly the same, the location in this version takes place in New York rather than in France. Additionally, The Upside also has a well known Hollywood cast featuring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. It’s also more than likely that an American audience has not seen any previous interpretations of the film. With that being said, it’s no wonder the audience reception has been overwhelmingly positive as opposed to the critcs.
This film has a lotta Hart (pun intended) which gives its audience those classic Kevin Hart moments. However, what many may find surprising is that it’s not all about laughs with the character Dell. Very early in the film, you can see how much he is struggling to stay connected with his family which is a different role for the usually comedic Kevin Hart. Bryan Cranston’s character Phillip finds himself in a similar situation with the loss of his wife as well as the ability to move his body. It’s not too long until after these too find each other that they begin to realize “the upside” of their life is not all about themselves, but also the people/family that care for them. This can be seen with Nicole Kidman’s character Yvonne who is Phillip’s secretary as she seems to care for him more than he cares for himself.
This is definitely a great feel good film almost anyone can enjoy whether that’s in theaters or at home. While the story has been told many times before, what this rendition gets right is its target audience in addition to stellar performances by the cast. It says a lot when critics give a poor rating, yet the auditoriums are selling out.
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