What Goes Up (2009) Reviews

• A reporter becomes fixated with a group of teens that were students of his old college mate.

  tristanfarnon2009-05-09

  Premiered at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival in May 2009 and i must say what a pleasant surprise this movie is. Although set around the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, this flick does not use that in anyway that would diminish that horrific event. The ending could have gone that way, but thankfully doesn't and it makes you leave the theater very pleased that it didn't.... as lesser film makers might have exploited it. You are left wondering just who the student was that caused teacher Sam Calallucci to throw himself off the roof of his apartment. His death coincides with the visit of Campbell Bobbitt ((played coolly by Steve Coogan)) an old college buddy who just can't get past a story he has written about a local hero who he has a relationship with. Bobbitt arrives in the New Hampshire hometown of doomed school teacher Christa McAuliffe. The town is putting on all sorts of events, including a special play at the school. Bobbitt though, gets caught up with a group of teenage students that had a special bond with Calallucci and in a way takes the place of his old chum, even wearing his jacket. Bobbitt finds a hidden note about his friend being suspended for inappropriate behavior with one of his students. All eyes point to Lucy ((brilliantly played by Hilary Duff)), but it isn't so. In fact we never find out for sure as my buddy and I discussed after the movie as we both had varied ideas. A sub plot involving a teen romance with a girl paralyzed from the waste down never gets it's due and in fact is played for laughs which is the one major down-point of this flick. Anyway, you are in for a pleasant surprise if you come across this movie.

  More

• Enjoyable

  lisa kussell2009-12-02

  I really thought this film was made with an honesty few teen centered films usually possess. Intriguing performances and slightly surreal situations make the film well worth the watch. Coogan is delightfully flawed and the surrounding cast truly resonates. Although I was prepared to be distracted by Hilary Duff, I thought she shined brightly and held her own quite well. The truth is that most filmmakers when tackling tougher issues as ones presented in What Goes Up tend to talk down and diminish their audience while the makers of this film seem undaunted by the regular Hollywood mission of going for cheap humor and glamorized sexuality. There is a gravity here that hangs like a thick cloud over this cast and I suspect this movie will be looked upon later as having more layers than it would initially seem.

  More

• A good little indie

  GoTurtleGo2009-06-17

  'What Goes Up' written and directed by first timers Jonathan Glatzer and Robert Lawson, is not a perfect film but it is by no means a terrible film either. At current the film has received 145 votes and has a score of 4.8, well that's just ridiculous and in the review below I hope to explain why. The Film starts off with much promise, Steve Coogan's acting is superb and the rest of the cast do a very good job too. For the first hour this is a very good film, it's deep, engrossing, and imaginative as it sets up for what seems to be a powerful and emotive story with an interesting array if characters and some brilliant cinematography. I found myself truly captivated, the integration of the Challenger disaster was done very tactfully and we frequently get some wonderful shots from Space that I really liked. However, about an hour in it starts to lose pace followed by a slight loss of direction as the main character, Campbell Babbitt, undergoes a sudden change that really doesn't suit and is poorly developed. The film then goes the same way as Campbell becoming a bit annoying and awkward at times. By the end I found myself feeling a little disappointed as it had thrown almost all the potential it had shown early on, settling of a generic and uninspired end. All in all 'What Goes Up' is OK, great in parts whilst boring and unoriginal in others, yet, for all its faults I liked it. It may not be perfect but come on people, even 'Little Nicky' has a 5/10 and trust me this is much, much better than 'Little Nicky'. The first hour and brilliant cinematography ensure that 'What Goes Up' is not a 4.8, it's a film defiantly worth watching and one I would happily recommend. 6/10

  More

• Positive Reviews

  CliffordBridigan2009-05-28

  There were a lot of very negative reviews of this film. Here are some of the positive ones you may have missed: "A 2009 Sleeper. A complete original and definitely not your typical teen comedy. It's a darkly funny, wonderfully twisted story that marches to its own surprising beat. The entire cast is superb!" "A wonderful little film!" "A nifty little tragicomedy. Director and co-writer Jonathan Glatzer handles his talented cast well, and the movie is dark, droll and sentimental in roughly the correct proportions." "Glatzer and (co-writer) Lawson show a deep understanding of how common ideals can hold even a community of outsiders together. And it has a one-of-a-kind character in Coogan, a cynic with a savior complex, who lies partly out of convenience, and partly because he knows – as Glatzer and Lawson know – that even a messy story can still inspire." "The wit is sharp and the performances are amazing. Hilary Duff will definitely get more and more 'real' acting roles thanks to this. And Molly Shannon has rarely been more manic and hilarious… If you like your comedies pitch black… you will enjoy this dark little jewel." It's wonderful because it's so true to life. It's exactly what WHAT GOES UP strives to be – a funny movie about death, a sad movie about life… It works. Olivia Thirlby exceeds all expectations lending her performance a gutsy rawness…" "The performances were incredible. I was blown away by them." "The film is touching, truthful, and, more importantly, an absolute blast to watch, thanks in part to smart performances from Coogan, Molly Shannon, and Hilary Duff in a role that might rub some of her loyal fans the wrong way. What Goes Up is about the lies we tell and the truths we keep hidden deep inside, a theme I'm sure most of us can relate to on one level or another. Thoroughly impressive stuff." – The Film Fiend

  More

• What Goes Up??? Well, I Sure Hope the Ratings Do!

  abhijitbond2009-06-20

  'What Goes Up' is set around the Challenger Space Shuttle Tragedy time frame in 1986, with the shuttle mishap as a backdrop. What the film actually revolves around, is a group of teenage rejects or in the words of the writer – 'The Unteachables' and Campbell Babbit (played by British comic Steve Coogan), a journalist, leaving behind his misfortunes in New York to arrive at the town of New Hampshire, where so much seems to be going on... For at the same time, Babbit's old college mate - Sam Calallucci has 'died under unfortunate circumstances' leaving behind a disoriented group of teenage students from a classroom called 'The Shed'. What Goes Up guides us along the journey of these misfits, who are falling apart, following the death of their Idol and somehow look up to Calalluci's supposed 'best friend' Babbit for support. Babbit, meanwhile is looking for redemption from certain false journalistic endeavors and a love affair gone awry, and tries to find it as he gets involved in the affairs of the shed. Okay, so may be this isn't the kind of movie that will have you at the edge of your seats, gripping you throughout its entire run. But what makes the movie special, are the beautiful moments that are scattered about the storyline and you can't help but be touched by them and feel for the characters involved! These moments come in bursts and they are funny and sad and plainly disturbing at times, but mostly – altogether Ironic... Irony! Now that's something portrayed amazingly in the movie!!! There are some pretty powerful performances delivered by the actors and some of them have done more than the justice to the beautiful characters built up by Jonathan Glatzer. Steeve Coogan playing the cynical, emotionally disturbed reporter shines throughout the movie. Hilary Duff as Lucy, the confused, perturbed, wannabe temptress is, in one word – AMAZING!!! Not only does she look stunningly beautiful in the movie, but she has clearly proved that she has talent (and I keep wondering why the critics keep denying that). She is still very young and I believe and hope that she has an awesome journey ahead of her in the film industry. Other performances worth mentioning among others are Olivia Thirlby as Tess and Josh Peck as Jim and these two captivate the viewers in each of their scenes. The episodes relating to Peggy, the wheel-chair ridden girl, touch the heart. However, Molly Shannon as Ms. Little, goes overboard and I felt, is clearly the least best part of the movie. The other characters from the shed are a bit lackluster and uninteresting too. Other factors that are impressing are the neat cinematography, the nice integration with the space shuttle tragedy, and specially worth a mention is the background score which seems catchy and likable. Personally, I feel that What Goes Up, in its run time, somehow finds a way into your heart, its characters, striking a chord somewhere to get you thinking! I would highly recommend this movie, not withstanding the ratings given above (which I'm sincerely appalled by!!!). Definitely worth a watch!

  More