The Upside

This charming, based-on-a-true-story dramedy will appeal to audiences who know and love its stars -- and it makes a point of showing viewers how to better treat people with disabilities. Unfortunately, normalizing disability may be easier said than done; as the movie reflects, well-intentioned people can awkwardly muck up attempts to be kind and instead project pity, while others find it easier to just ignore the disabled. An example is clearly needed, and The Upside aims to offer just that by showing, rather than telling, when it comes to being an example of inclusion and understanding.

But there is a downside. The film embraces clichés. A poor black man's life is changed for the better by a rich white man. A Harvard-educated woman (played by Nicole Kidman) abandons her career because of her compassionate nature. And race and class divisions are bridged thanks to smoking pot. The film more or less indoctrinates viewers into the belief that marijuana makes everything better, which is an interesting choice, considering that the pot scenes are Hollywood creations -- unlike some of the film's other iffy material, which stems from reality (the real duo who inspired the film did make a game of speeding and then tricking police). While the film wasn't made for kids, those behind it seem to be aware that kids will likely see it -- hence the clever dialogue and camera work that dance around sexual implications so that nothing inappropriate actually occurs. Bottom line? The film amuses, entertains, and educates, and viewers are likely to exit the theater on a high note, but it may also inadvertently encourage younger viewers to go get high.