THE UPSIDE Edwards, Mullen, Taylor, Williams

Reference: (SLIDE20)
Black, T., Blumenthal, J., Tisch, S. (Producer) & Burger, N. (Director). (2017). The Upside [Motion
Picture]. United States: STX Films and Lantern Entertainment.

Plot Overview: (SLIDE2,3)

The Upside is a movie that follows the story of Philip Lacasse, a character based off of Philippe

Pozzo di Borgo, a billionaire who becomes paralyzed in a paragliding accident, and Abdel

Sellou. The movie focuses on Philip (Philippe) and Dell (Abdel) as they progress through the

trials associated with work and friendship. We are introduced to Dell, who needs a signature for

his parole officer. While Philip and Yvonne, Philip’s assistance, are conducting interviews for a

life auxillary, Dell demands a signature from Philip. Despite protests from Yvonne, Dell is hired.

This allows for a beautiful friendship between two very different people.

Initial Thoughts: (Q1,/SLIDE 5,6)

At the beginning of this movie we clued into the obvious, that Philip needed a wheelchair as well

as someone that takes care of him at all times, a life auxillary. Processing the obvious

information led some of us to feel sympathetic towards him. We were, at first, judgemental of

his DNR order. Throughout the movie, we experienced a full range of emotions. The movie does

an excellent job of connecting with the audience’s emotions in an authentic way. We have a few

clips that show moments of this.

Stereotypes: (Q2/SLIDE 7-9)

There are three stereotypes that are mainly expressed in this movie. The movie is not

necessarily shaped around these stereotypes, but they do appear and add to the story line.

They are Pitiable and Pathetic, Better-off Dead, and a Burden. We have a clip that shows the

scene in which Philip says that saving his life is a waste of time. One stereotype that was not

portrayed at all, better yet almost exactly the opposite. Philip was able to continue living a very

successful life. He maintained his wealth, while still running a very profitable business.

Devalued Roles and Negative Images: (Q3/SLIDE 10,11)

THE UPSIDE Edwards, Mullen, Taylor, Williams

There were instances throughout the movie that showed how many disabled people are treated

in real life. There were a couple of instances that clearly aligned with the categories provided to

us in our checksheets. Philip as an Object of Burden or Charity, Childlike, Object of Dread, and

Subhuman. The scene that displays Philip being seen as subhuman will be shown in a clip. It

takes place in a restaurant and Dell is the only one addressed by the cashier.

Positive Images: (Q4/SLIDE 12,13)

There are many positive images shown throughout the movie. Dell consistently always

corrected people in their interactions with Philip. He also always treated Philip as an equal. He

did not treat Philip like he was anything less than a man and his friend. We get a glimpse into

Philip’s life and see that there are still many positive things for him to live for, but we also see

that he still has the freedom to dictate how he wants to live his life. He still has the ability to be in

charge of himself.

Class Connections: (Q5/SLIDE 14,15)

This movie is extremely relatable to many of the things that we have been discussing in class.

The main connection is we should support disabled people by asking how they would like for us

to help them and the idea presented in the book Presume Confidence.

Does this Movie Change Your Perspective?: (Q6-8/SLIDE 16-19)

This film does an excellent job at portraying these interactions in a real life manner. We were all

in agreement that this movie could leave its viewers with a more positive attitude toward

disabled people. It can do this by informing people of the little things in life that one does not

normally think of. There are many parts of this movie that could be examined for how our

culture interacts with the disabled, but it also shows how we can make these interactions better.