What Goes Up (2009) User Reviews

A good little indie

[GoTurtleGo · 6/10 · 17 June 2009]

'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

A mildly entertaining but ultimately confusing movie

[Jackpollins · 5/10 · 21 June 2009]

The new indie comedy What Goes up is somewhat amusing in its storytelling but is also too confusing for its own good. While it's all one story, it packs too much into its story. The story follows reporter Campbell Babbitt (Steve Coogan), who writes a story about a woman who lost her son to civil acts. But then she commits suicide. He then is sent to report about the Challenger Space Flight launch. There he meets a group of misfit students. He gets a lot of his information from student Tess (Olivia Thirbly). Later, when reporting the story, he falls for a student named Lucy (Hilary Duff). The Movie shows him getting to know these students. The fact that it goes between Campbell's visit to the town, and the days adding up to the Challenger Space Flight launch, but making it all one story makes the movie feel forced, and confused. As I was watching this, I felt somewhat entertained, but I also cringed in all the brain power it took to figure out just what was going on. Overall, you can skip this one, because even if you are entertained by it, it won't be worth it for the simple fact that it's so damn confusing.

He was choking on Mars What Goes Up

[jaredmobarak · 5/10 · 10 May 2009]

Writers Robert Lawson and Jonathan Glatzer, (who also directed), were in attendance to introduce their work and explain their hope to get audiences thinking about what it means to be a hero. Describing it as an example of tumultuousness and devastation breeding comedy, it is interesting to learn that we never see the space shuttle explode. The tragedy at hand is instead the suicide of a beloved teacher, one who may or may not have been having too close of a relationship with his students, and how the group of misfits he brought together and gave hope to for the future deal with it. Throw in Steve Coogan's journalist, in town to report a space related puff piece, who had also been a college friend to the deceased, and you get a story that delves into some dark places, brings some genuine laughs mixed in with plenty of awkward ones, and asks some good questions. The whole definitely doesn't add up to a success, but some of the parts do resonate.

In the film, both of Steve Coogan and Hilary Duff are playing somewhat against the norm, and not necessarily to good effect. Duff is not a great actress to begin with, and here she is asked to handle some very hard subject matter as a girl who was in love with her teacher that just killed himself. She sees Coogan's arrival as a way to fill the void, seducing him with her juvenile wiles while playing a troubled young girl, but trying too hard at times. As for Coogan, I'm not sure if he is cut out for serious fare. He is dealing with his own tragedy and professional lie, a falsified series of articles that could ruin his career if discovered during their Pulitzer Prize nomination. When he is utilizing sarcasm and his inherent goofiness, you do believe in his character, however, the filmmakers ask him to be completely serious at times, in close up no less, and unfortunately he doesn't look pull it off.

In true indie film fashion, What Goes Up contains a bit more quirkiness than needed. I enjoyed the creepy girls the first couple times on screen, before they just got … creepy; Molly Shannon's odd teacher, composer of "Blast Off" the musical, (wow is the song from this performance so intentionally head-shaking bad that you have to laugh), is very weird, and supposedly girlfriend to the dead teacher—a fact glossed over after a very brief mention; the theft by the children of their teacher's body and coffin is unbelievable; and what's with Coogan setting up toy figures to mimic the people he has met during his visit? A couple aspects to the script really do work, though, but you may miss them due to all the filler thrown your way. Just pay attention to the scenes pertaining to Josh Peck and Olivia Thirlby as they shine throughout and make me want to watch them in The Wackness even more now.

Peck plays Jim, one of the students affected by the death, one who had been given direction by his "almost-priest" teacher. He looked up to and listened to the man only to find that he killed himself. When something like that occurs you can't help but question the validity of what you had been told. Peck becomes jealous and angry towards Coogan for coming into town and basically moving into his idol's shoes as he is viewed as a replacement, even becoming the object of affection from Duff's Lucy, the girl who loved him. Peck's hero is proved to be fallible and only when he himself prevails in a situation that could have resulted in the death of a baby, is he able to let go of the memory. As for Thirlby, she is absolutely fantastic. An abused child, assumed to be carrying her uncle's offspring in her stomach, Thirlby's Tess has experienced pain firsthand and sees Coogan as someone just looking to prey on her friends' emotions. Her life has built paranoia and a need to be the hero in her mind, going so far as to lie about something that she knows isn't true, but possibly could eventually become so, like the relationship between a teacher and student. Her monologue at the end, explaining her motivations throughout the film to Coogan, is a powerhouse moment, made all the more impressive by seeing Coogan's odd expressions in reaction shots. Thirlby acts him under the table.

But Coogan's Campbell Babbitt has his own moments as well, a hero in his own rite after writing inspirational articles in the paper about his subject and eventual love "Angela" and her selfless work done to honor her slain son. To add one more instance of moral ambiguity to a film ripe with pedophilia, teen sex—including that with a paraplegic girl, shoplifting, and misguided anger on behalf of many, Coogan finds himself caught in a scandal still hidden as "Angela" killed herself after the first story he wrote. His love for her too much, he continued her story with lies, lies that helped people and brought happiness to many. So, as a school teacher is about to go into space as a hero, eventually to keep that title once her shuttle disaster never allows her to get there, in the backdrop, we see adults and children experiencing the many different definitions of that term—hero. Sometimes that label means making a hard choice, lying and deceiving for the greater good. If What Goes Up gets anything right, it is this fact: that heroes are who we make them, subjective and often privy to debate. If the film focused more on this theme, leaving much of the precious quirk so abundantly prevalent on the cutting room floor, it might have been something I could have recommended more. Maybe the play on which it is based gets it done more successfully; as a film, though, it's more uncomfortable than thought provoking.

The cast is good, the movie is quirky. You'll either love it or hate it. I didn't much care for it

[dbborroughs · 5/10 · 16 August 2009]

You're either going to love this or hate it. Steve Coogan plays a reporter goes to New Hampshire round about the time of the Challenger disaster, and hooks up with the misfit students of a college friend who recently died. Quirky comedy drama is a film that has moments but it never clicked with me. To me it was trying too hard not to be the the typical American made film. It didn't help that I never warmed to Coogan, who is an actor I either lover or hate. He is a funny man but at the same time his performances always strike me as much too mannered and structured. He never seems real. On the other end of the spectrum is Hillary Duff who is rapidly becoming one of the best actresses in film. Say what you will the girl has range and ability as this film and other films like War Inc have proved. It didn't work for me, it might for you (there is a great deal of passion at IMDb from people who feel its rated way too low). try it if the mood hits you.

What goes up.... must come down

[jotix100 · 5/10 · 13 April 2010]

The comment that is top rated among the entries submitted about this film seems to indicate that the creators, and/or the publicist, wanted to create a hype to sell the movie. This is the same tactic that is used in most media ads, in which a phrase, or two, will make the viewer run to see the picture. At the same time, an indie like "What Goes Up" needs to be enjoyed for what it is, not because that someone decided to tell us to like the picture. This is manipulation of the first order.

Jonathan Glatzer and his co-writer, Robert Lawson, were obviously a bit pressed for time, or perhaps a tight budget to make this dramatic comedy a winner. Part of the problem seems to be Steve Coogan's Campbell Babbitt who is a cynic, a liar, and a character that is not likable; he shows no redeeming qualities whatsoever until the conclusion of the story. Then, there is Hillary Duff totally miscast as Lucy Diamond, a mixed up young woman who doesn't know what she wants.

On the other hand, the excellent Olivia Thirlby, one of the most versatile actresses working today, has better luck with her Tess. She is appealing as the young woman facing a difficult time. It is a departure from some of the sunnier parts she has been asked to play before. Molly Shannon has some good moments as the music teacher trying to put on a show to honor astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who died in the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Explorer.

Our own recommendation is to watch "What Goes Up" on its own merits. Just relax and be objective.

Tries waaaaay too hard...

[intelearts · 2/10 · 15 June 2009]

Honestly this should have re-edited and made into satire - it really has all the hallmarks. Kooky isn't comedy if you're just baffled, and we were.

Pretentious and so divorced from any sense of self it's Emo on Acid sensibilities may suit a number of people but we couldn't see the point at all.

The plot about a reporter whose life is on the skids, and goes to visit New Hampshire only to find more disasters waiting for him at the school he's visiting, is very weak. the characters are entirely one dimensional and the whole film takes forever to say or do anything.

Someone out there will love this - it will hit a chord with someone - but Steve Coogan used to make parodies of this sort of clap trap and really it tries way too hard to a cool oddity and we were just left bemused and bored - sorry.

'We don't need another hero'

[gradyharp · 7/10 · 2 October 2010]

'WHAT GOES UP must come down' and that seems to be one way of looking at this funky little film written by Robert Lawson and writer/director Jonathan Glatzer. Given Steve Coogan's comedic talents it is able to rise above an implausible script and come close to be entertaining.

The time frame is January 1986 and Campbell Babbitt (the last name is well chosen as a reference to Sinclair Lewis' novel 'Babbitt' - a satire of American culture, society, and behavior, it critiques the vacuity of middle-class American life and its pressure on individuals toward conformity) played by Steve Coogan is a reporter for New York World, writing a series about a woman who became a 'hero' by turning the anguish of seeing her son murdered in to acts of civil service (the woman whom Babbitt has grown to love commits suicide, and out of cherishing her memory he continues to write stories as though she were still alive - an act that Babbitt's editor Donna (Molly Price) finds ridiculous and sends Babbitt of to New Hampshire to cool off and to over the upcoming Space Shuttle Challenger).

Babbitt arrives in a little town in new Hampshire (the town is preparing to celebrate the Shutttle launch as Christa McAuliffe was raised there) to discover that his old friend Sam who was planning to become a priest but opted for teaching had a class of 'problem kids' who adored him. Babbitt discovers Sam's body in the street. The class of odd kids mourn Sam's passing: he was their hero. What Babbitt discovers is a group of kids each of whom is challenged with a problem and is trying to find ways to overcome those problems: Lucy Diamond - a reference to the Beatles song - (Hillary Duff) was in love with Sam; Tess Sulivan (Olivia Thirlby) claims she saw Lucy and Sam in an intimate moment, suggesting that Sam's act resulted in his jumping off his roof in suicide (Tess has private problems at home that lead to an unwanted pregnancy); Jim (Josh Peck) is the guardian of the coffin and funeral and 'burial' of Sam; Peggy (Sarah Lind) is a paraplegic who talks Fenster (Max Hoffman, son of Dustin Hoffman) into being her first sexual encounter; Ann (Ingrid Nilson) and her 'twin' Sue (Andrea Brooks) provide comic relief in their bizarre antics; Lute (Laura Carswell) is the dissatisfied choral assistant to the weirdo-choir director and pageant designer Penelope Little (Molly Shannon).

In the midst of this strange crew and situation Babbitt as a reporter tries to sort every thing out, falls for Lucy, and is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his woe begotten story in New York. His influence helps the kids sort out their priorities and leads Babbitt to find a way out of his own unwanted heroism. The story ends before we know the result of the Challenger explosion - and the creation of a real hero in Christa McAuliffe. But there really isn't a beginning or an end to a story in the ordinary sense of a film. WHAT GOES UP merely puts before the viewer the lives of some odd people and lets us watch how they cope. It has a bit of comedy, though dark, and a lot of tender moments that don't come into focus until movies end. For many this film will perplex: for others it will satisfy. It is an offbeat tale with a lot of innuendoes.

Grady Harp

wonderful acting, but...

[tmoefoto · 4/10 · 20 August 2009]

worked on it, great talent, great script, great crew. i wish that there wasn't as much ego involved with this project! it had so much potential and I have to say that steve coogan, josh peck and molly shannon were out of this world! what a pleasure. some of the local talent were fantastic as well. our two favourite misfits "the girls" you know who you are, were wonderfully quirky and adorable to say the least.

production was a nightmare.

local crew were treated as second class.

what is with the director not thanking the local crew?

not so nice my fine flying friend.

Review of What Goes Up

[tonymacklin · 4/10 · 5 June 2009]

Usually I'm the naysayer, going against the preposterous flackery of such venal arbiters as Pete Hammond and Rex Reed.

But I find myself giving faint praise to a movie that 20 out of 20 reviewers on Rottentomatoes rated "rotten." I kind of liked What Goes Up.

What Goes Up is an earnest morality tale. It's very uneven, but it also seems sincere. Sincerity is not enough for a positive rating, but it helps.

Read the complete review:

http://tonymacklin.net/content.php?cID=237

Tony Macklin

http://tonymacklin.net

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

[tristanfarnon · 9/10 · 9 May 2009]

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.

A disturbing title for a disturbing film.

[fleggett · 3/10 · 14 June 2009]

I first learned about this on the IMDb, when the trailer was posted on this site. One of the IMDb's greatest strengths as it pertains to their trailer postings is that, when you hover over the image, a text pop-up appears with a short synopsis of what the film is about.

The title of this indie-sounding piece kinda/sorta intrigued me and, seeing as it is very easy to obtain plot distillations via these pop-ups, I hovered.

What I read was, well, pretty damn unnerving. I'm VERY surprised this hasn't been broached yet, even in the forums.

The second half of the saying "what goes up" is, of course, "must come down". Keep this in mind, as the chronological setting for this film is days before the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986 and the where is the late Christa McAuliffe's teaching hometown.

Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, but given the film's date and place, the title seems rather blasphemous. Can you imagine the awful stares one would've received if nonchalantly murmuring this whimsical phrase right after the explosion? Or how about when the Hindenburg burst into flames or when the WTC towers collapsed? This is a saying reserved for helium balloons and radio controlled airplanes, not when hapless people and iconic objects are obliterated.

Apparently, this was originally entitled "Safety Glass", but was changed to "What Goes Up" shortly before its release. Why? I have no idea, other than maybe shock value.

What's even more perplexing is that the setting could've been practically any small town at any particular time. The Challenger disaster isn't even the focal point. It's just used as, IMO, a cheap gimmick and VERY uncomfortable reminder of when this film is suppose to occur.

I dunno. Perhaps living only fifty miles from Cape Canaveral and LC 39B greatly colors my opinion. I also remember exactly where I was when the news was announced; similar to those who precisely recall where they were when Kennedy was shot.

Which is a shame, because the cast does an otherwise fine job, particularly the kids playing "the shed" misfits. I'm not entirely certain I subscribe to the film's dubious message - that facts shouldn't get in the way of perception - but many of the scenes were very endearing and even a little intense.

Still, I just cannot overcome the horrible title.

Enjoyable

[lisa kussell · 9/10 · 2 December 2009]

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.

Positive Reviews

[CliffordBridigan · 8/10 · 28 May 2009]

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!"

• Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

"A wonderful little film!"

• Jeffery Lyons, NBC

"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."

• Andrew O'Hehir, Salon

"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."

• Noel Murray, The AV Club / The Onion

"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."

• Alex Dorn, UGO.com

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…"

• Kate Erbland, Gordon and the Whale

"The performances were incredible. I was blown away by them."

• Ted Ott, Real Talk LA

"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

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

[abhijitbond · 10/10 · 20 June 2009]

'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!

Why did no-one tell me about this movie?

[crtarrant · 8/10 · 24 March 2011]

I hadn't heard of this movie before I watched it but it turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in the last few years. I can't believe no-one has told me about it. Sure, it's not neat and polished ( messy as the critics have it) but that's part of its appeal. Its fresh, off-beat, raw, dark, warm and full of heart and insight. The acting is terrific and touching throughout, particularly Steve Coogan and Hilary Duff. You really feel these people are lost and falling apart, looking for someone or something to grab hold of. And you never know where the film is going to take you. I found it enthralling and rewarding and the soundtrack is excellent too. Its one of those films you want to champion - so I did.

Stunningly Original - Brilliant Movie

[bmk8 · 10/10 · 8 November 2011]

This movie is hard to describe without possibly wrecking the viewing experience, but as this is not for everyone, I will try to talk around it, without giving away too much. At its core it is a strikingly realistic mystery, involving the death of a special education teacher. The people in this story are misfits, realistically portrayed, but very unusual people. Taken in total their strangeness makes the entire situation feel unreal, as real things often feel when you know enough of the truth about them.

Do not expect the people and events in this story to make some statement about people or events in general. This is about specific people and specific events. Do not look for comedy or jokes here. Do not expect a great deal of violence or a high body count. Though the sexual activity of some of these people may be disturbing to some viewers, do not come looking to see a lot of naked bodies, this is not a skin flick. In short, this is not designed to appeal to any mass audience, leave your expectations at the door - whatever they are - they are very likely to be disappointed.

The excellent script, by Jonathan Glatzer and Robert Lawson, leads us through the discovery that a mystery exists, why we should care about finding out the truth, who are the people involved, and what is the truth about them and their role in what happened. Marvelous direction by Jonathan Glatzer and an extraordinary cast (including Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby and others) produce an almost flawless film. Makes me really wonder why 9 out of 10 critics gave this film negative reviews. I think that says something about why so many terrible movies keep being made.

If you are wondering why anyone should bother with this movie when it only concerns what happens to a bunch of misfits that you might not relate to - the answer is that this movie is about the nature of truth. How illusory, how dangerous, and how hard to deal with, truth can be. It is about how difficult finding out the truth can be and how careful one must be with what one finds out. Actions have consequences and real truth is seldom purely good, or satisfactory or pleasing, and one must always filter what they reveal to others lest they do more harm than good.

Perhaps that is why so many do not care for this film - it is not going to leave you satisfied or pleased, do not expect to feel like cheering afterwards, but if you want to see something that may give you something to think about this film is well worth your time.

A great drama, recommended

[jools_69 · 8/10 · 15 June 2009]

I thought it was the British who did Social Realism, but this film shows that Hollywood 'gets' it too. Steve Coogan is sturdy and the other actors also very believable.

I can see why some people just wont 'get' this film at all, why some will wish to be offended by the side story of Challenger, nothing I can say will help you see the parallel yet opposite story that runs through the piece.

I don't often go for this genre of American drama (sorry, but I generally prefer European drama), but I do like Steve Coogan so thought I would give this film a go. Within 10 minutes I was hooked and embroiled into this little world that is so different and at times uncomfortable.

I gave an 8, it would have been 9 but I was a bit confused by the newspaper cuttings Campbell Babbitt took from the pin board in Sam's flat, they were important to the story but flashed past too quickly for me to understand the relevance. I look forward to seeing it again to clear this up.

"Every Action has a Reaction"

[Xcstacy · 8/10 · 20 June 2009]

Great introduction to movies by Jonathan Glatzer, this movie told us a story that is unique and bizarre about a small town teacher who has recently died and those around him that was affected. As one of the students quotes every Action has a Reaction and that is what drives this movie forward.

Olivia Thirbly and Josh Peck give us what we have come to expect from these young rising stars, Steve Coogan and Molly Shannon did not disappoint on most accounts, however I feel as though Hilary Duff needs to attune herself more proper to these roles. She is making the right steps into a direction out of Disney and I feel this will be an experience that will help her develop her acting talents for future roles.

The premise of this movie is very interesting, it revolves around the death of Sam Calallucci a teacher of misfit students who all felt very "in love" with him because he allowed them to be themselves. This makes me wonder why they decided to change the title of the movie from "Safety Glass" to "What Goes Up" I think the latter had more commercial appeal but the first title seemed to bring out more emotion. This was a very character driven movie however some should have been touched upon a bit more such as Josh's character but a movie can only be so long before boring its audience.

All in all I enjoyed this movie, it did have some weak links in acting and minor problems in its story which could have been written tighter if that wasn't what was the aim then some things should be left for interpretation in a more fashionable way.

8/10

~XTC

What Goes Up.....Will Keep Going Up

[evilguy_anas_1994 · 10/10 · 20 June 2009]

What a great movie. I think maybe the best movie of the year. Great story, great characters. It is very realistic and shows how life really is and how the American society really faces lots of problems.Hilary duff & Steve Coogan and Olivia & Josh were all so awesome! Especially Hilary Duff that greatly played her role and showed a lot of passion and maturity! U Rock Hilary Duff! Although the movie gets u a bit confused at the beginning ull understand everything at the end were everything falls into place and it all makes sense! Really Highly recommended and a must watch cause it really presents and image about life! Go Hilary Duff, Steve Coogan, Olivia, and Josh!!!!!

Nice, Quirky Cult Classic

[oddlynn3 · 8/10 · 31 May 2009]

I was privileged enough to see this film with one of the producers tonight in Las Vegas. I went with some trepidation as I had heard from my DIL, who's the producer's niece, that while she thought the first cut was good, it had some issues. And unfortunately, I am very critical when it comes to movies due to my writing background.

I have to say I was truly amazed at the quirkiness and depth of this story. Yes, it did have some issues. There were places where I would have liked to have more in-depth characterization, there were places I thought the pacing was slow. The acting was good and dead on with what characters had on their plates. And in all honesty, this is the type of movie that comes out of the blue and ends up a cult favorite. It is that good in some strange way.

Maybe part of this is because I can remember this week so well myself. I was just out of college and worked for Lockheed. We were on top of the world and it just came crashing down on us all that Thursday morning. I can't imagine having the whole week being that bad. LOL!

Then again, maybe it's the part about being adult enough to understand when you've done something wrong yet there is no way to ever take it back. I remember this lesson well.

Or maybe, it's just that the misfits are so true to life that I can empathize with what is going on in their lives. I know that I would have been devastated if my favorite teacher had died during my high school years no matter what the cause.

Still, it would have been worse if said teacher had committed suicide. I was angsty enough then to have wondered if it were my fault in any way at all.

Adding all these elements up, you have one heck of a story that can appeal to the masses. I have to say, I liked it.

So Glad I Found This Winner!

[k-jennings1 · 10/10 · 24 June 2015]

I have a life-long history of falling in love with movies everyone else despised, and I am sad to say this movie has now been added to that lengthy list. "What Goes Up" was twelve kinds of wonderful. Maybe a moment or two, here and there, made me ask "why?" but not one of those moments took away from the brilliance of this movie. Steve Coogan is fantastic in everything he does, and he didn't slack off in this movie. Not to mention, every other actor in this film was equally tremendous.

I love the "mystery" this film lead on with, and the fact that it didn't have to wrap up with a tedious voice-over explanation, it instead SHOWED us, and I appreciated that. Though some people grossly dislike being "left hanging" or feeling confused because they didn't understand an ending; I, however, love to be allowed to somewhat decide what I think happened.

All that said--and the fact that Hillary Duff continues to be amazing despite those who claim otherwise--I hope everyone will give this gem a shot, and then be glad you did.

Enthralling Ride

[broken_wings_will_fly_ag · 9/10 · 22 February 2013]

Came onto here expecting more bad reviews, but was delightfully surprised that the IMDb community has taste. Honestly don't know how this got such a low score, it has to be the only Hollywood drama without the usual happy ending and predictable plot line. (Guess the critics were hoping for another Easy A or a Glee movie, though) The few humorous parts were actually well placed, but a poor attempt at catching fans of films such as 'Superbad' or 'American Pie', as the comedy in such films is only a notch above slapstick and dragged out through the whole length of the title. I'm not exactly sure why I liked it so much, it definitely had a true to life feeling, yet had a few surreal situations. I also felt I could understand all the characters, even those whose parts were in honesty just a time filler. They gave it a bit of fun (Peggy and Fenster) but also added a sense of mystery (Jim). I do feel, however, that in the case of Tess that it could have been explained a little better. When it comes down to it; I hate this genre, yet I like this movie. However, I'd even suggest it to those who enjoy this genre, hoping that they might realise the diamond in the rough.

What an unusual and terrific film!

[AbelParish · 10/10 · 27 June 2009]

I was really struck by this film. I won't rehash the plot as that has been done on numerous posts. But I would like to address the bafflingly low rating. I admit, under normal circumstances, I'd give the film an 8 because it does suffer from inconsistencies, but thought I should do my part to up the number. I'd hate for people who might completely groove with the film's strange rhythms to be dissuaded. Thanks to the guy who put up all those great quotes from the few critics who dug the movie. It's simply a movie that not everyone's going to love -- but some definitely will. Some say this film tried too hard. I really disagree. It concentrates on the human emotions between the characters and it does this very well, with humor and without straying into melodrama. Does it crowd in a whole bunch of other details like teen pregnancy and the Challenger shuttle and even shoplifting? You bet. But it deliberately lets those topics exist on their own. They are well trodden topics which we've all seen before and the movie lets them resonate without a whole lot of effort - so it is kind of the opposite of trying too hard. The film sets a mood, it doesn't tell a sweeping story. It fools you into thinking it's ripping off Juno - but it's so different and far better. I think if your a fan of Godard who liked to break up the calcified traditions of storytelling, you will dig What Goes Up.

Great movie

[gafferman84 · 9/10 · 24 August 2009]

I worked on the movie also. Local crew was treated like crap, it's true. We busted our butts for this movie. But Tmoefoto is wrong to blame the director for being ungrateful. That guy thanked me a hundred times for my work. He'd come and have beers with the other gaffers on the truck after the shoot and you know he had other things to do. I still kept a note he wrote us to all to thank us for our dedication and to apologize that the money dudes were such crooks. Never had a director be so honest. And the producers were crooks. We had checks bounce on us. We were paid less than we were promised. We were asked to cut corners that decreased our safety and security. I will never, ever work for the producer Jack Nasser again that's for sure. But I've got nothing but sympathy for the talent, incl the director, who I think somehow made an amazingly good movie even though production was a nightmare. And from what I hear, post production was even worse. All in all, it's one of the few movies maybe the only I've worked on that I'm actually really proud of. Thought it was full of passion and really f-ing funny.