classicsoncall Review of Standing Up, Falling Down

Standing Up, Falling Down (2019)

"You see, if there's one thing I know about, it's booze."

[7/10 · 2 January 2021]

This was the second film in a month I've seen about a failed stand-up comedian, the other one was 2019's "International Falls". Well, maybe not so much failed in this case as burned out and ready to find a normal life for Scott Rollins (Ben Schwartz). I wasn't crazy about Scott's introduction to Billy Crystal's character Marty, that bathroom scene was pretty much uncalled for with Marty relieving himself in the sink. How drunk would you have to be to do something like that? I don't think Marty was that wasted, and at the same time, Scott wasn't all that offended. The setting provided an unusual dynamic to what would become a May/December friendship between a couple of guys who were trying to find their way, with Scott remorseful over a life that could have been, and Marty despondent over a failed relationship with an adult son from a first marriage. I have the feeling that for some viewers, some of the situations might hit a little too close to home, and provide more angst than the comic relief the picture tries to offer. The quips and one-liners are well delivered, with the best back and forth probably between Scott and his thirty year old sister Meg (Grace Gummer), trading barbs over each's station in life. Nostalgia fans will line up with Crystal's character reliving the 1986 World Series, while Scott whiles away some time with a "Howard the Duck' rerun from the same year. The finale leaves it to the viewer's discretion as to where Scott winds up with Marty's daughter (Caitlin McGee), an association brought about by Marty's untimely and unfortunate demise.