Stan & Ollie

Name: Stan & Ollie
Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy
Released: December 28, 2018
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Danny Huston, Ella Kenion, Greg Canestrari, Harry Hepple, John C. Reilly

2018

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 83 Ratings

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Stan & Ollie (US Trailer 2)

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 28, 2018 | PG

Starring: Danny Huston, Ella Kenion, Greg Canestrari, Harry Hepple, John C. Reilly, John Henshaw, Keith MacPherson, Lucy Appleton, Nina Arianda, Pepe Balderrama, Richard Cant, Rufus Jones, Sanjeev Kohli, Shirley Henderson, Stephanie Hyam, Steve Coogan, Susy Kane, Tapiwa Mugweni

Summary: Laurel & Hardy, one of the world's great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans. The tourLaurel & Hardy, one of the world's great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans. The tour becomes a hit, but Stan & Ollie can't quite shake the specter of Laurel and Hardy's past; the long-buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver's failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other. [Sony Pictures Classics]… Expand

Director: Jon S. Baird

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 98 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mick LaSalle

Jan 8, 2019

A gentle movie. It’s valedictory, with a sense of the ephemeral nature of life, the inevitability of regret, and the bittersweetness of looking back on past happiness. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

Jan 16, 2019

As a winsome glance back, and as a piece of artistic preservation, Stan & Ollie would be enjoyable enough. But it becomes truly transcendent in the hands of John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan, who play Ollie and Stan with intelligence and spirit that go beyond their own uncanny physical performances. Read full review

Jim Slotek

Jan 17, 2019

People expecting plenty of Laurel & Hardy style laughs will be disappointed, obviously, given the movie’s comedy-lions-in-winter theme. But this thoughtful portrait of a long-lasting professional marriage rings touchingly true. Read full review

The Telegraph Robbie Collin

Oct 23, 2018

It is eccentric, sad and stirring to the core. Oh yes – and incredibly funny, too. Read full review

Johnny Oleksinski

Dec 27, 2018

Nothing salacious, and no dropped bombs here. Stan & Ollie portrays the pair less as hot-headed collaborators than a bickering married couple. Read full review

Jason Zinoman

Dec 27, 2018

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly deliver dynamite performances that capture the expressions and physicality of the star comedians without ever descending into caricature. They never strain for laughs but are consistently amusing. Read full review

Barry Hertz

Jan 16, 2019

As Laurel and Hardy learn by the end of the film, every gig is an opportunity. Good on Coogan and Reilly for possessing the same workhorse mentality – and better luck next time, boys. Read full review

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User Reviews

johndoe2014

Jan 15, 2019

Both of these actors deserve oscar nominations. Not only do they do an excellent job of playing the real men, but their comedic characters as well. The movie picks up steam in a gentle way and by the end it is powerful and exceptional.

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

IsaacJ

Jan 13, 2019

Here, John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan star in a biopic as delightful and fuzzy as its subject, the legendary comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. Jon S. Baird directs the film, which documents the lesser-known twilight years of the pair; Stan and Ollie, aging and fading from the public eye, embarkHere, John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan star in a biopic as delightful and fuzzy as its subject, the legendary comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. Jon S. Baird directs the film, which documents the lesser-known twilight years of the pair; Stan and Ollie, aging and fading from the public eye, embark on a tour of Britain in order to raise funds for a big (and almost too good to be true) movie break to bring them back in the limelight. The film being called Stan and Ollie is poetically appropriate; we are being given a wonderfully personal look at the men behind the celluloid. The end result is a movie that is simply irresistible.
John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan star as the titular leads, in portrayals that are both uncanny and effortless. Reilly plays Hardy with a jovial honesty, his clumsy gait and trademark finger-twiddle completing a gorgeously authentic performance. The same is true of Coogan, whose portrayal of Stan Laurel is well-rounded and classically humorous. This film truly could not work without the two actors, who commit to their roles with ease in a partnership that seems as natural as Laurel and Hardy themselves. However, it is Rufus Jones’ hilarious tour manager who hits the nail on the head, quipping that we get “two double acts for the price of one”, when referring to Stan and Ollie’s fiercely protective wives. Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda give the film another layer in humorous supporting performances as Lucille Hardy and Ida Laurel, with Arianda, in particular, being absolutely scene-stealing.
Jeff Pope (who worked with Steve Coogan on Philomena) writes a sharp and versatile script; throughout the film, the lines are blurred between the on-screen personas of Stan and Ollie and their personal lives. This makes for results that are, as expected of this film, utterly hysterical, yet also comes with the difficult job of making sure the comedy and drama coincide comfortably. Stan and Ollie does this perfectly; while the film is certainly an irreverent and nostalgic comedy, what allows it to truly work is the emotional edge that acts almost like a tonic, cutting through the slapstick. The film never strains for laughs and the same is true of its approach to its more serious side, lending an emotional weight to the fun (“You loved Laurel and Hardy”, Stan snaps, “but you never loved me”). The whole package is wrapped up nicely with Rolfe Kent’s jubilant score and Laurie Rose’s cinematography, full of marvellous continuous shots (the opening prologue on the set of Way Out West particularly stands out). Some may argue that Stan and Ollie is sweet to the point of saccharine, but I disagree; it’s a charming film that’s filled to the brim with joy and heart. In times where, perhaps, the negative seems to stand out, this is a breath of fresh air that reminds us of the importance of love and laughter in a quaint and purely magical way.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Necrophat

Aug 20, 2020

What a great film, these two actors have done a fantastic job of portraying Stan and Ollie, a heartfelt and joyful film, loved it, any Laurel and Hardy film needs to see this.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MarkHReviews

Feb 1, 2019

From the 1920s to the early 1950s, the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy made over 100 films. They began with short silent films, graduated to short sound films and eventually starred in 23 full-length feature films. In their heyday, Laurel and Hardy were among the best-known andFrom the 1920s to the early 1950s, the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy made over 100 films. They began with short silent films, graduated to short sound films and eventually starred in 23 full-length feature films. In their heyday, Laurel and Hardy were among the best-known and most-beloved personalities in show business.

After a brief vignette focusing on the team at the peak of its popularity in 1937, “Stan and Ollie” examines the pair on a 1953 tour of Britain and Ireland. By this time, many assume the team has retired, requiring Stan (Steve Coogan) and Ollie (John C. Reilly in a fat suit) to judge beauty pageants, meet with local officials and do whatever is required to build an audience for their stage performances in small, depressing theaters. The pair does so without complaint. Their efforts result in a sold-out series of performances at the Lyceum Theatre in London. By the time their tour concludes in Ireland, their boat is greeted at the dock by a large, adoring crowd.

Screenwriter Jeff Pope brings to these proceedings the same air of mournful wistfulness that permeated his screenplay for 2013’s “Philomena.” In the hands of Director Jon S. Baird, the script becomes a quiet, thoughtful examination of two colleagues dealing in very different ways with the melancholy and introspection that come when a career is much closer to the end than its beginning. A note in the postscript catches the essence of this film: from Hardy’s death in 1957 until his own in 1965, Stan Laurel continued to industriously write dozens of sketches and comedy scenes – all for the team of Laurel and Hardy.

The performances of Coogan and Reilly are the engines that propel this film, although they inhabit their roles in totally different ways. Steve Coogan offers a tour de force, eerily mimicking many of Stan Laurel’s physical traits, from his Chaplinesque walk to his literal head-scratching antics. His carefully calibrated performance depicts convincingly Laurel’s drive for success, his anxiety about financial security and his bridling at unjust treatment by the Hollywood system. But, ultimately, Coogan communicates Laurel’s quiet joy in just doing the work. John C. Reilly, in contrast, is a study in understatement, content to portray quite simply a man of simple needs and pleasures. Both are riveting. Reilly received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for this role. Coogan is nominated for Best Actor by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

In many ways, “Stan and Ollie” is an elegy and an homage to a bygone era. Given the chaos, insanity and self-absorption that regularly dominate headlines today, this film offers a forceful nod toward different values – the virtue of daily professionalism, the value of work for its own sake and the gentle rewards of well-earned friendship.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

moviemitch96

Jan 25, 2019

This was a charming little biopic about Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, one of the most beloved and famous silent film era comedy duos, as they navigate their way through the peak of their careers in the 1930s, as well as a comedy tour in England during the sound era as they struggle to stayThis was a charming little biopic about Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, one of the most beloved and famous silent film era comedy duos, as they navigate their way through the peak of their careers in the 1930s, as well as a comedy tour in England during the sound era as they struggle to stay prominent and relevant within changing times. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are both delightful together as Laurel and Hardy respectively, and easily help make up for the film's relatively safe, predictable, and standard biopic narrative. Overall, while it is pretty standard, the film's fun and charm, as well as plenty of classic Hollywood nostalgia paired with Coogan and Reilly's great chemistry together makes it just worthwhile and enjoyable enough.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

HealingToolbox

Apr 11, 2019

7.5 for me
These two reviews reflect my views....
Washington Post - Ann Hornaday As a winsome glance back, and as a piece of artistic preservation, Stan & Ollie would be enjoyable enough. Yet it becomes truly transcendent in the hands of John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan, who play Ollie and7.5 for me
These two reviews reflect my views....
Washington Post - Ann Hornaday
As a winsome glance back, and as a piece of artistic preservation, Stan & Ollie would be enjoyable enough. Yet it becomes truly transcendent in the hands of John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan, who play Ollie and Stan with intelligence and spirit that go beyond their own uncanny physical performances.

Original-Cin - Jim Slotek
People expecting plenty of Laurel & Hardy style laughs will be disappointed, obviously, given the movie’s comedy-lions-in-winter theme. But this thoughtful portrait of a long-lasting professional marriage rings touchingly true.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

Jan 18, 2019

While there are a few good things about "Stan & Ollie" there are too many negatives to make it worthwhile seeing.

John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel were a top comedy duo in the 1930s and by 1950 were barely making a living. Both actors are excellent in theirWhile there are a few good things about "Stan & Ollie" there are too many negatives to make it worthwhile seeing.

John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel were a top comedy duo in the 1930s and by 1950 were barely making a living. Both actors are excellent in their roles though, sometimes, Reilly's prosthetics go astray. Most people, under 50, probably won't be familiar with these comedians and their routines might provide puzzlement as to why they were so famous even to the older folks in today's audience.

As a film about two comedians, it is more of a drama than a comedy, telling the story of their lives in the 1950s doing a tour in England to almost empty theatres and hoping to make a movie that might never be made.

Shirley Henderson as Lucille Hardy has a very hard to hear, and understand, accent while Nina Arianda as Laurel's Russian born wife Ida seems to get the most, what there are of them, laughs in the film and the two women are more of a comic team than their husbands.

In the 1940s Abott and Costello were more popular while they, in turn, would soon be surpassed by Martin and Lewis.

"Stan & Ollie" has 3-4 laughs and near the end a few tears but all in all it does nothing for them putting the spotlight on the team and really doesn't entertain the audience.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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