The Upside – Budget Unknown – 2 hours and 6 minutes

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Dell, an ex-con on parole, has to prove he is looking for work.  He must give his parole officer 3 signatures in 24 hours or he will go back to prison.  He owes back child support and consistently break promises to his son Anthony and the mother of his child Latrice.  Phillip, a businessman who became an author, lost the ability to move anything below his neck after a paragliding accident.   However, he will state that wasn’t the hardest day of his life.  The hardest day was losing his wife to cancer.  Phillip believes his executive Yvonne is overworked and overreacting, so they look for a live-in caregiver.  Dell goes to an address to interview for a janitor’s position but goes to the wrong way.  He lands in the waiting area for the caregiver interview.  After an hour of waiting, Dell becomes annoyed and bombards an interview.  He asks Phillip or Yvonne to just sign his papers because he is not interested in being interview for the position.  Phillip hires in on the spot and agrees to sign his papers in the morning if he comes back.  Dell leaves and goes to Latrice’s home.   After breaking another promise, Latrice kicks Dell out.  With no place to go, Dell takes Phillips job offer.  This friendship will inspire both men to do better.

A remake of The Intouchables, this movie is really about two broken men who fix themselves by helping each other (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  Phillip is physically broken but he is rich.  Dell is mentally broken but he is healthy.  They are both so focused on what they don’t have, they don’t realize they are both blessed.  However, seeing the other person’s struggles makes them contemplate on the changes they need to make to become better people.  This is a serious movie about seeing beyond the past and the exterior; seeing the real person within.  However, it provides plenty of deep-felt laughs while helping you appreciate opera and Aretha Franklin (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).  This movie is missing one key feature: a photo of the two men who inspired the movie.  It does give a very short wrap-up, however, a photo would have added a strong personal element.  Hopefully, it will be added to the DVD features.  See this movie on the big screen today.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Now? Nothing – Latrice

I bet you a hundred I lose them – Dell

You’ll know when I’m angry – Yvonne

You can’t say the word. Can you? – Phillip

Which birthday? – Anthony

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