Standing Up (2013) Reviews

• A great film that is , unfortunately, very relevant.

  OliverGbyrne2013-08-01

  It's a difficult task to make a film about bullying , especially in today's world , with news on the TV of children who takes their own life after having being bullied.Bullying is , unfortunately , still very much relevant , perhaps more now then ever before.Twitter,Facebooks and the likes are new weapons used by bullies everyday. DJ Carusco tackles this difficult subject in a very subtle and intelligent way. Instead of concentrating on the pain that bullying cause , his film is more about overcoming bullying. The story is simple and to some similar to "Moonrise Kingdom" (Although I do find the comparison out of context). In the 80's (Although the film could have taken place any time , the director wisely decided not to overly use the 80's setting to avoid distracting audiences from the story itself) two kids at a camp , a boy and a girl who do not know each other , are victim of a vicious pranks by their fellow campers.They are stripped away of all their clothes and are left in the middle of an Island.The two kids eventually bond and decide to not stay for when the other campers come back to make fun of them or even worse take pictures of them as a "Trophy" , instead they run away and that is where the film and their adventures really begins. This film really feels like a journey , you see the kids slowly building confidence after each stop they take before getting back home , although at that point they are note sure what "home" will be. The two leads , Analise Basso and Chandler Canterbury (Who was also in the very good "A bag of hammers") are pitch perfect as Grace and Howie.They deliver a very true performance , they are absolutely believable , you absolutely believe this is happening to them.The dialogs also help a great deal , the kids speaks like normal kids , they don't have cheesy lines. I will spare you too much details because I do not want to risk spoiling the film for you but I must say , I rarely get teary eyed watching films but the last scene of "standing up" was an exception thanks to Analise Basso , this girl has a bright future ahead of her. I know this film was based on a very popular children book but I was not aware of this book so I cant really say how the film stand up when compared to the book. All I can say is that on it's own merit , this is a very heartfelt , sensitive , well executed , hopeful film and I urge parents to watch it with their kids or teachers to show it to their pupils because it might gives bullies a taste of what it is like on the other side of the spectrum. I am very sensitive to the subject of bullying and I feel this film , beside being really well made , is important.For theses reasons I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.

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• A wonderful warm film that is heart felt and sure to make tears flow.

  Ed-Shullivan2016-02-17

  This is a story about two outcasts named Howie (played by Chandler Canterbury) and Grace (played by Annalise Basso) who find each other late one night stranded on Goats Island. These two harmless and timid 12 year olds have been chosen by the camp bullies to be taken by canoes a mile from their campsite and dropped off in the dark of night but not before they are both stripped naked, their clothes absconded with and mocked at as the bullies take off in their canoes laughing at being successful in finding this year's new "goats". These bullies see this as an annual rite of passage to pick on weaker children who are unable to defend themselves and embarrass them with their sick plan to strip them of any ounce of dignity that even their clothes would protect them from. Grace is beside herself in total fear wondering how she ever allowed herself to get caught up in this embarrassing situation with a boy (Howie) she has never met before. How will she ever live with this embarrassment? Well, Howie who may also be very meek and sees that the canoes are returning to subject the two naked "goats" to more taunting tells Grace that he for one is not going to take any more of their crap and if she wants to avoid any further bullying they need to vacate Goats Island immediately. Reluctantly even though she cannot swim she believes she has a greater chance of getting through this ordeal with the assistance of the other "goat", Howie. Upon reaching dry land and still naked and covered only by a blanket their adventure begins. Grace is able to reach her mother Meg (played by Radha Mitchell) while she is in the middle of an important meeting and Grace cries uncontrollably begging for her mother to come pick them both up. She tells her mom that Howie needs to leave with them since Howie has told Grace his parents are archeologists and they are overseas in Greece on an excavation. Meg tells her daughter that the reason she sent her to this camp is to toughen her up and to make some new friends. The tragedy of these circumstances are that although the events may differ from child to child the trauma young preadolescents endure could be mitigated earlier if only parents would listen and focus on their child first and not on their careers. I commend director D J Caruso for compiling a very moving and endearing film that allows each of us to relate to these two preadolescent children and the fear that their bullies (especially in groups) can overwhelm them with. Who amongst us has not been challenged at some time in our young lives by their own bully and were we as brave as these two young children were? This is a beautiful coming of age adventure film which takes place over a four day span and how these two children learn how to grow up quickly if they want to survive in the woods surrounded by water. The kids run into other bullies along their journey but are now more resilient and willing to stand up for one another. There is a dramatic scene when Grace is on the phone with her mother Meg, and Meg tells Grace that she will do what she can to help young Howie too. I give the film a perfect 10 and if I could give Standing Up a point for every tear I dropped over a number of heartbreaking scenes by these two fine young actors (Chandler Canterbury and Annalise Basso) I would. I don't know how this film was not a box office bonanza but I for one give it two thumbs up!!

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• Rare to find a movie with a positive message

  leroilaw2013-12-05

  The other viewer's bashing of this movie shows that people can "read into" a movie or any situation their own preconceptions and their own misconceptions. I am a father of two daughters and found this movie highly inspirational about how not only children, but adults, can gain self-confidence and self-reliance relying on their inner strength. The bullying that occurred in this movie was extremely realistic and happens at schools, camps, clubs, and sports on a regular basis. The fact that a bullying tactic was to disrobe two adolescent children was to humiliate the children in front of their peers, not to serve some pedophile's interests. To take that away from this movie is shocking and discouraging, that someone would "see" everything that happens in life as "sexual" and "unholy." In stark contrast to the other viewer's comments, this movie had the strength and inspiration of older movies like "My Girl." One of the most poignant parts of the movie is one of the runaways asking a stranger in another camp why the camper was being nice and the response was "why wouldn't I be." Those are words to emulate and live by. The other main character talks with another stranger about why people have to be mean to each other and put someone else down to feel better about themselves. These are 12-year-old kids who are asking questions that we as adults and parents can't effectively answer for our own children. Yes, the movie shows the "bond" that the two develop over a period of three days - one of respect, one of admiration, and one of confidence. I wish that there were more movies being made like this - addressing "real" issues in our society.

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• Great Film

  cbfilm2013-08-18

  I was able to get to see this film at a local theater, almost by accident. It was wonderful, very emotional, and made me think about all the times I hear people complain that there are no good movies being made anymore - it's not true, you just have to find films like this one. As other reviewers have said, this is a coming of age drama about two young kids who are the victims of summer camp bullies. Rather than return to the camp and face humiliation, they take off on an 2-3 day adventure, as the kids try to come to terms with the traumatic events and the hand that life has dealt them both. Together they find strength and comfort in friendship, and take one step closer to adulthood. This is a very emotional film. I cried many times. One warning: while this is a family film, I think it may not be appropriate for kids under 8-9 years old. But older kids and adults will find this a deep film and deeply moving.

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• Surprisingly sweet and good-natured for a DJ Caruso movie.

  rolandddd2013-04-20

  Based on Brock Cole's "The Goats", Standing up is the story of two geeky kids, a girl and a boy, who are the victims of a mean holiday camp prank. Stripped naked and left marooned on an island, the boy and girl are left to their own devices and decide to leave the camp and embark on an adventure on their own. I like that the main characters are geeks and outsiders, and they are ably played by Chandler Canderbury and Annalise Basso. They are experienced TV actors despite their young age, and the chemistry between them is good. I certainly could identify with the awkward feeling of being a lonely young outsider searching for yourself and for companionship. I like the general theme of the film, that you can learn from all your experiences, good and bad, and discover yourself as a result. I think this is a good message, especially for young adults. However, the world view is a bit too optimistic, the kids never really are in real danger despite their dangerous decision to live on their own for a few days, and the lack of any real antagonist means the film lacks an exciting edge. Nevertheless, it is a good-natured film without nudity or swearing, and works well as family entertainment. Personally, when it comes to coming-of-age movies, I prefer Stand By Me.

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