Stand Up Guys (2012)

A pair of aging stickup men try to get the old gang back together for one last hurrah before one of the guys takes his last assignment - to kill his comrade.

Director:

Fisher Stevens

Writer:

Noah Haidle

Stars:

Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Val
Christopher Walken	...	Doc
Alan Arkin	...	Hirsch
Julianna Margulies	...	Nina Hirsch
Mark Margolis	...	Claphands
Lucy Punch	...	Wendy
Addison Timlin	...	Alex
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Sylvia
Katheryn Winnick	...	Oxana
Bill Burr	...	Larry
Craig Sheffer	...	Jargoniew #1
Yorgo Constantine	...	Paul
Weronika Rosati	...	Irena
Keone Young	...	Song
Courtney Platt	...	Lisa (as Courtney Galiano)

Storyline

After 28 years, Val gets out of prison, and his friend Doc picks him up. The local mob boss, Claphands, wants Val dead (Claphands' son died in a robbery and he blames Val) and Doc has until morning to kill him. It's a long night: Val wants to party - they visit a cat house, Val needs Viagra, they break into a pharmacy. After midnight, they pick up Hirsch, their old wheelman, drive the city in a stolen car. They visit the cat house, help a woman in distress, bury a body, and eat at Doc's hangout, a café where the waitress, Alex, is cheerful. The sun rises, Claphands wants Val dead, and Val, who has figured out his fate, is resigned. Is there anything left to take care of?

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Plot Keywords:

rapist comeuppance | female nudity | erectile dysfunction | rape victim | revenge | 

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Taglines:

They don't make 'em like they used to.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only piece of "modern technology" in the film is the new car that Pacino, Walken, and Arkin drive throughout the film. If you notice, every other technology used is very old: rotary dial phones are used constantly; many AWA televisions are seen, one showing an old episode of what appears to be Soul Train; and several old cars are seen in the background throughout the film.

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Goofs

When Val and Doc are in the shop looking for a new suit, they get interrupted. In the following shootout Larry gets shot in the hand but in the next scene there is no wound at his hand.

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Quotes

Doc: Exit, stage left.

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Connections

Featured in 70th Golden Globe Awards (2013)

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Soundtracks

Fooled Around And Fell In Love
Written by Elvin Bishop
Performed by Elvin Bishop

User Reviews

Very solid

I read some of the reviews here, and I think that some who have reviewed this extremely negatively (as in 1/10) are those who appreciate a movie with lots of explosions, and maybe some guys with their tops off, flexing their muscles to accentuate just how tough they are.

Luckily, there isn't much of that in Stand Up Guys. It's character-driven, centered on the relationship between Val (PAcino) and Doc (Walken), both of whom are spectacular.

There's some great dialogue between the two, and despite what you may read on here, the story is quite solid, if simplistic. I don't think people have fully grasped these characters in some reviews, or the meaning of the title "Stand Up Guys". They're throwbacks, and the situations they encounter represent the direction the world has headed over the years, a world that Doc is forced to be a part of, despite wanting a quieter life.

I won't go on any further, but I found the characters endearing, and the relationship between Val and Doc kept me on the hook.

Nice soundtrack, too.

Cheers

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Belarusian

Release Date:

1 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stand Up Guys

Filming Locations:

Three Clubs, 1123 VINE ST, Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,486,390, 3 February 2013

Gross USA:

$3,310,031

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,072,654

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Lakeshore Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital Auro 11.1 SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1