a famous laurel & hardy routine. Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie – Sixteen years after Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were at the top of their Hollywood fame, the ageing pair struggle to revive their failing careers with a poorly attended tour of England. As the tour goes on their popularity begins to increase once again but despite their friendship, tensions begin to rise due to decisions made in the past. The show must go on, but will it ever be the same again?

Stan & Ollie (2018) – Director: Jon S. Baird

Is Stan & Ollie appropriate for kids?

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58029929

Rating: PG

Running Length: 97 minutes

Starring: Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, Shirley Henderson, Nina Arianda

Genre: Drama, Comedy

REVIEW: STAN & OLLIE

Is there a better known double act than Laurel and Hardy? The half-British and half-American duo are still household names over 50 years after their deaths and their antics in both silent movies and talkies are still as side-splitting today as they were back in their heyday. So it’s about time a movie was made about their lives; ‘Stan and Ollie’ looks at what happened after their fame had waned at Hollywood and they were forced to tour England to drum up money for themselves and momentum for a new movie. With incredible skill, our leads are taken by Steve Coogan (Stan) and John C. Reilly (Ollie) who are so like their counterparts it there are times when it is easy to forget it isn’t the actual duo you are watching!

Foregoing the temptation to make the audience biased towards one or the other, the movie chooses instead to show the strengths and weaknesses of both equally so neither has your sympathies more than the other. Stan may have been the brains behind them but Ollie’s part was so vital that the pair just weren’t as good whenever they were apart. Special mention must also go to Nina Arianda, Stan’s forthright Russian wife who, along with Ollie’s wife, Lucille (Shirley Henderson), give us (in the words of the men’s English Producer, Bernard Delfont), ‘two double acts for the price of one’.

It’s possible ‘Stan & Ollie’ may initially appeal to those who are fans of the duo, but it is so genuinely funny, heart-warming and poignant that we would recommend it as a must-see to anyone who wants something a bit special in their movies.

CONTENT: IS ‘STAN & OLLIE’ FOR KIDS?

Stan and Ollie walk through a Hollywood set behind the scenes, a few young women walk by wearing slightly revealing costumes. Ollie says ‘Hello girls!’ this is done in a friendly way as opposed to anything sleazy and he makes no other advances towards them. When trying to persuade Stan to go somewhere with him he says ‘There’ll be a lot of girls there!’

When talking about material for a new routine, Stan and Ollie discuss slapstick comedy in a matter of fact way, saying ‘How about I punch you in the nose?’, ‘I could poke your eye’ and ‘Wring my neck’.

When needing some money, Ollie makes a phone call to place a bet on a horse race. Dialogue later suggests that Ollie has had a gambling problem but nothing explicit is mentioned. Some characters drink alcohol and smoke cigars or cigarettes.

Stan and Ollie are set to judge a ‘Bathing Beauties Contest’. The young women stand on pedestals in their bathing costumes and hold up their numbers. Again, no-one leers over the women but this does highlight old-fashioned sexist views towards women.

A character collapses and their friends and family are desperately worried about them. Later, when this character is feeling better, the tell a friend that he has to retire because if they go on stage again, they could die.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?
VERDICT: IS ‘STAN & OLLIE’ FOR KIDS?

Stan and Ollie is a funny and touching portrayal of two of Hollywood’s greatest performers. Although the content is very mild, we feel this movie may be a little dull for younger children and therefore recommend it for kids aged 7 and over.

  • Violence: 0/5
  • Emotional Distress: 2/5
  • Fear Factor: 0/5
  • Sexual Content: 1/5 (a few women are seen to wear clothing that shows some cleavage and legs)
  • Bad Language: 1/5 (some infrequent mild cursing)
  • Dialogue: 1/5
  • Other Notes: Deals with themes of the show must go on, friendship, love, bitterness, the effects of holding onto past frustrations, disappointment and partnership.

Words by Laura Record

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