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What Goes Up
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama
Written by:
Jonathan Glatzer
Robert Lawson
Directed by: Jonathan Glatzer
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 29, 2009
DVD: June 16, 2009
Running Time: 104 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for sexuality, language and some drug use, all involving teens
Starring Steve Coogan, Hillary Duff, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, and Molly Shannon
It is 1986. An emotionally damaged New York reporter is sent to cover the hometown hoopla for a local hero. But rather than pursue his assignment, which leaves him cold, he follows a group of disaffected students, whose own hero - their beloved, unconventional teacher has just died under a cloud of scandal. Their passionate and, at times, ludicrous expressions of grief attract the reporter. He moves into their alternate universe, a willing "substitute teacher", but descends into a web of lies and misplaced sexual desire with this group of confused and combustible youths who attempt to cast him as their new hero and teacher. (Sony Pictures)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir
Director and co-writer Jonathan Glatzer handles his talented cast well, and the movie is dark, droll and sentimental in roughly the correct proportions. Worth a look.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray
What Goes Up has a one-of-a-kind character in Coogan, a cynic with a savior complex, who lies partly out of convenience, and partly because he knows--as Glatzer and Lawson know--that even a messy story can still inspire.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Manohla Dargis
Even when Mr. Coogan can't make his scenes work, his prickly presence keeps you watching, as does the eerie scenes of winter that Mr. Glatzer captures with the camera.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
The thesis-driven story precludes much dramatic discovery, and the looming shuttle disaster only exacerbates the sense of heavy-handedness.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Glatzer's self-consciously quirky indie is misguided on every level.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Ethan Alter
A turgid mess of a film that has a lot of ideas on its mind, none of which prove very interesting or in fact coherent.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Glenn Whipp
Glatzer aims to wring laughter out of this desperation but succeeds only in producing a series of contrived characters and situations that make "The Breakfast Club" look like an unfiltered documentary.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Vadim Rizov
This is rock bottom: I've seen a lot of terrible movies in the line of duty, but What Goes Up might be the only genuinely unreleasable one.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Nothing in this movie is properly focused; everyone keeps talking about a character whom we never meet and does not matter; the tone keeps slipping around from indolent satire to thudding sincerity, and the Challenger shuttle disaster backdrop is queasy-making at best, offensive at worst.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
bently h gave it a10:
Creative and a very good movie. i enjoyed it.
ashley j gave it a10:
I liked this movie. it was messy and had too many things going on to the point where i was confused but, hey, it rocked!
brandy h gave it a10:
Ok, it was weird and not the best movie, but I enjoyed it. I think Hilary Duff did very well, at least out of them all. But still, it was a movie i"d watch again.
Jay H gave it a4:
Director Glatzer has too many things going on, the film lacks focus, but he does have an interesting style, and time will tell if he develops it effectively. The cast tries, Steve Coogan is quite bland though. Too many slow and uninteresting stretches.
