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Drew Barrymore has been a fixture in Hollywood her entire life—and she’s been in the spotlight since appearing in E.T. when she was just six years old. So if anyone knows about the ups and downs of the industry, she does. And she explores them from two different perspectives in her latest comedy, The Stand In.
The Stand In stars Barrymore in a double role. Actress Candy Black is known as much for her physical comedy as she is for her difficult personality. After an on-set meltdown, she disappears from the public eye for five years, until she’s ordered to go to rehab. But Candy has no interest in leaving the house, so she hires her former stand in, Paula, to go in her place. Once Paula slips into Candy’s life, though, she’s reluctant to give it up—and Candy is all too happy to let her keep it.
As Paula steps into the spotlight and Candy (now known as her real name, Cathy) steps out, the story follows the characters and their not-so-surprising transformations. Once an out-of-control celebrity with mood swings as wild as her comedy, the reclusive former actress has found peace and contentment in her first love: carpentry. She hasn’t been to a salon in years, and she couldn’t care less. And while she definitely hasn’t lost her cynicism, at least she’s stopped throwing things at people’s heads.
Paula, meanwhile, quickly transforms from the over-sweet and naïve wannabe actress to a bold and confident celebrity, gleefully apologizing for someone else’s offenses all over national TV. As you might expect, the results of her new-found fame aren’t pretty—and Barrymore’s performance as Paula can sometimes be painfully over-the-top.
This is certainly an interesting dual role for someone who knows all too well the kinds of effects that fame and fortune can have on a person—and Barrymore shows some heart and vulnerability in her performance as the former star. Unfortunately, though, the story isn’t especially solid, and the comedy often falls flat. It does have some entertaining moments, but it has a whole lot of cringe-worthy moments, too.
The Stand In definitely has a lot to say about the effects that celebrity can have on a previously kind and thoughtful human being. That does make it an interesting movie—though, even with twice the Drew Barrymore, it isn’t quite as laugh-out-loud funny as it could be.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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