Two very different individuals collide unexpectedly, entering into the life of a complete stranger and finding an unconventional kinship is shared between them. One of them is Scott (Ben Schwartz), a young man who had been trying to realize his dream of becoming a famous stand-up comedian but was forced to leave Los Angeles when it became clear this just wasn’t a viable career option for him, returning home to suburban Long Island, where he claims to be developing his comedic work, while his parents try and convince him to reset his life and try his hand at a more conventional career. The other is Marty (Billy Crystal), an erratic dermatologist who spends his time outside his practice consuming any mind-altering substances he can get his hands on, with his favourite being copious amounts of alcohol that allow him to not only have fun, but also soothe the pain of a long life filled with tragedy, a fact that Scott becomes increasingly aware of the more he spends time with this man, who he only encounters due to a particularly strange set of coincidences that draw them together, finding a common ground in their shared encounters with misfortune, and yearning for better lives that aren’t possible in the stifling confines of suburbia. Over time, the duo become incredibly close, depending on each other for spiritual (and sometimes even moral) guidance, especially as they both feel remarkably energized to give their dreams another shot – however, there are obstacles along the way, and they find sometimes even those who you feel you can count on may occasionally let you down, even when it may be completely unintentional.

Standing Up, Falling Down is a film that operates mainly as one of the many comedies that takes on serious subject matter, but also serves to be both a star vehicle for Billy Crystal, one of the most enduring stars of his generation, and the attempt to give Ben Schwartz, an actor who has spent most of his professional career in supporting roles, the leading-man breakthrough that many of his contemporaries in the comedy industry tend to get, smaller films that don’t offer much in terms of revolutionizing the genre or changing the discourse, but still manage to be heartfelt affairs that compensate for certain weaknesses through more poignant narrative elements. From the outset, it is necessary to note that Standing Up, Falling Down has many flaws, no doubt the result of it being the feature-length directorial debut for Matt Ratner, an industry insider who had worked on many terrific independent comedies throughout the years in the capacity of a producer. The film prominently features several proverbial growing pains, which come across in the more serious material that it tends to evoke to give emotional nuance, but it balances them out with the same amount of merits, which are brought up through the meaningful approach to a story that may be thoroughly predictable, and perhaps even derived from stitching together many of the conventions of this kind of dramatic comedy, but still has an abundance of heart and a caustic wit that is increasingly hard to find in even the funniest of films, mainly because this may be a film executed with compassion, but it rarely defaults to overt sentimentality unless it is entirely necessary. As a whole, Standing Up, Falling Down works as an endearing story of friendship that functions as a charming comedy that remains upbeat and buoyant, even when exploring deeper thematic content.

At one point, Billy Crystal was an untouchable force of nature – as beloved as a comedian as he was respected as an actor (albeit mainly in the more comedic capacity, with his sporadic attempts at more dramatic work often being less-favoured), but as was the case with many of his contemporaries, his inability to adapt to the volatile state of the industry, and his dependency on a kind of humour that felt very much restricted to the era in which he experienced his peak, Crystal began to fade away, still remaining an adored industry figure, but seen as more of a relic of a bygone era than an actor who would take on the challenge of fitting into the new directions of filmmaking. Moreover, like many of his contemporaries, Crystal has found a home in independent film, as evident in Standing Up, Falling Down, one of the many films that endeavours to revitalize the careers of dormant icons, giving them more challenging work to do, all the while reminding us of why we loved them in the first place. In this film, Crystal is given a character who is both very much within his wheelhouse (an eccentric man who uses his immense charm to get out of any situation), and somewhat against type, especially in the direction the character takes towards the end of the film. Playing a foul-mouthed, dirty-minded alcoholic who is frequently on the fringes of getting into serious trouble is not necessarily the epitome of a challenging role, but in the way it is developed here, it gives the actor a bit more to work with, a chance to do what he does best, but adding on a lot of nuance and depth that isn’t very common in some of his earlier performances, which thrived solely on his magnetic screen presence. Standing Up, Falling Down also affords Ben Schwartz, a consistently good comedic actor, the chance to lead a film, and while his performance is inarguably less impressive than what Crystal is doing, he still gives a solid portrayal of a young man trying to work towards a worthwhile future, and even though there are moments when it appears that he’s struggling to convey the depth the film requires, he comes out of the film relatively unscathed, perhaps not having drawn immense attention to his work, but at least providing more than enough evidence that he’s more than capable of giving effective leading performances.

The vast majority of Standing Up, Falling Down relies on the chemistry of the two actors, which relates to the central theme of this film being that of friendship. Without the actors giving such symbiotic portrayals of their individual characters, the film would not have worked. This is perhaps where it succeeds the most, because while most would associate this film with a broader variety of themes, everything that makes it such an effective comedy, as well as an incredibly emotional drama at times, comes from how it explores this friendship. Ratner doesn’t propose anything bolder or more unique than the general premise would suggest – and when it comes to films like Standing Up, Falling Down, where the story itself is derived from the intention to represent the human condition, rather than just simply entertain,  perhaps the more simple, heartfelt approach is more effective. The film touches on some very raw topics, which is not something that many would have envisioned someone with the broad comedic sensibilities as Crystal, nor a more offbeat comic like Schwartz, would actually be capable of conveying – and for what it’s worth, they both give remarkable performances that may sometimes fall victim to poor writing (some moments feel far too forced), but rise above with a kind of authenticity that can only come from actors putting in the effort to shift perceptions and deliver memorable work. Comedic actors doing serious work has become a trend, but it’s one that is very unlikely to ever become contrived because there’s something so compelling about those who normally thrive on laughter doing something that requires them to dig deeper – it gives them a challenge, and a chance to change how they’re perceived, and allows audiences to see a different side of them. For this purpose alone, Standing Up, Falling Down is a great success, because it derives excellent work from its two leads, who clearly had this in them, but rarely were given the chance to demonstrate it.

The film looks at some heavy themes – mental health, ageing, marital strife and ultimately, our eventual death. Yet, despite addressing all of these themes fearlessly and without any hesitation, Standing Up, Falling Down is remarkably free of overt sentimentality – naturally, there are moments in which it feels somewhat overwrought, but that’s more a result of the director still being a relative novice in terms of shepherding a story like this. Ratner deserves an immense amount of praise for how he managed to actually make a film that is both outrageously funny, but also authentically heartfelt, blending the two in a way that many more experienced directors often struggle to do. There’s a soulfulness to this film that isn’t seen very often, and when you combine this with the offbeat sense of humour that the film demonstrates throughout, with Ratner often cautiously making light of certain subjects that would be taboo in other instances, but actually turn out to be quite touching in the context of this film, you realize that Standing Up, Falling Down is a film that prioritizes its message more than the way its conveyed. At the heart of the film is a story about two men who are wandering aimlessly through a hostile world, searching for some kind of sign – whether one that redeems them of their past misdeeds or mistakes or an indication that they must change paths, whether professionally or personally, there’s a need for some kind of change. The message underpinning Standing Up, Falling Down is quite touching, and even when it doesn’t manifest to its full potential at times, the good-natured humour and off-beat eccentricity of this very human story propels it forward and makes it a resonant, heartwarming endeavour that overcomes its flaws to become a really terrific piece of commentary on the fundamentals of what makes us human.