Home Arts & Lifestyle There’s Always an Upside

There’s Always an Upside

by Abigail Miller

“The Upside,” directed by Neil Burger, is a true story telling the life of a quadriplegic. He lost all motor function from a paragliding accident in a storm before crashing into the ground. This movie is a comedy because it shows that even after a terrible accident, it’s ok to laugh. “The Upside” has the ability to make you laugh till you’re sore and cry your eyes out.

This movie shows stages through life when Phillip (Bryan Cranston) is angry, happy, and depressed. I liked how realistically the movie showed these different stages. The quadriplegic, Phillip, hires Dell (Kevin Hart) as a life auxiliary. A life auxiliary is someone who takes care of people in their home when they can no longer do it themselves, for which Dell has no experience. He hired Dell because he was depressed and wanted to die after his wife’s death. After hiring Dell, there is a distinct change in Phillip because he becomes happier, compared to his depressed self. Philip becomes happier because Dell is unlike any other life auxiliary he has ever had, more carefree and fun.

Philip helped Dell just as much as Dell helped him because Philip was the first person to believe in Dell. About halfway through the movie it was revealed that Phillip had been mailing letters to a woman and after she rejected him Philip fell into a deep depression and  pushed everyone away, including Dell. Dell has to save him before Phillip seriously injures himself and ends up alone.

I would recommend this film to any one because it’s a good laugh. This movie also makes you enjoy the little things, that we take for granted. I think Cranston and Hart did fabulous jobs in acting in this movie. They made something as sad as man who had lost everything happy again. This was an inspiration and I really hope you have the privilege of watching it.

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