What Goes Up (2009)

Set in the mid-80's when a reporter is sent to cover the Challenger Space Shuttle launch only to become mixed up in the lives of some local students.

Director:

Jonathan Glatzer

Writers:

Jonathan Glatzer, Robert Lawson

Stars:

Steve Coogan, Hilary Duff, Olivia Thirlby

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Coogan	...	Campbell Babbitt
Hilary Duff	...	Lucy Diamond
Olivia Thirlby	...	Tess Sullivan
Josh Peck	...	Jim Lement
Molly Shannon	...	Penelope Little
Molly Price	...	Donna Arbetter
Max Hoffman	...	Fenster Itski
Sarah Lind	...	Peggy Popoladopolous
Laura Carswell	...	Lute Lement (as Laura Konechny)
Ingrid Nilson	...	Ann
Andrea Brooks	...	Sue
Andrew Wheeler	...	Principal Person
Gabrielle Rose	...	Mrs. Bridigan
Colleen Rennison	...	Sylvia
Aubrey Mozino	...	Blythe

Storyline

What makes a hero? January, 1986. Campbell Babbitt is a reporter for the New York World, writing a series on a woman who turned the grief of losing a son into civic acts. He falls in love with her, and when she commits suicide, he continues to write made-up stories about her. His editor sends him to New Hampshire to cover the Challenger flight from the town of teacher Christa McAuliffe. The launch is postponed for a few days, giving Campbell time to get to know a group of misfit students whose own teacher killed himself the day Campbell arrives in town. He pieces the story together that led to the suicide, finds himself attracted to a student, and has to sort out his own loss.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | suicide | new hampshire | nudity | high school | 

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Taglines:

A Different Class of Misfits

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and some drug use, all involving teens

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Safety Glass

Filming Locations:

Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nasser Entertainment Group, Insight Film Studios, Station3

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 104 min (cut)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film has been in production for many years. Originally Mandy Moore was cast as Lucy, Michelle Williams was cast as Tess and Peter Sarsgaard was cast as Campbell. Later, Steve Coogan was cast as Campbell and Amber Tamblyn was cast as Tess, Kelli Garner was cast as Peggy, Paul Dano was cast as Jim, Alison Pill was cast as Ann and the singer Nellie McKay was cast as Sue . In early 2008 all six dropped out and Amanda Seyfried was given the role of the character Peggy. She was then cast as Sophie in the film Mamma Mia! and dropped out of What Goes Up and was replaced by Sarah Lind. Hilary Duff and Olivia Thirlby were then cast in the roles of Lucy and Tess respectively. Josh Peck, Ingrid Nilson and Andrea Brooks were then cast in the roles of Jim, Ann and Sue respectively.

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Goofs

In the scene near the very end when Steve Coogan's character Campbell is driving away you can clearly see the shoulder of someone riding in the passenger seat of the car.

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Connections

References Sudden Impact (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Any Other Day"
Written by Hilary Duff, Jonathan Glatzer, and Robert Lawson
Performed by Hilary Duff

User Reviews

A good little indie

'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