Standing Up

Plot synopsis:
Two kids, Howie (Chandler Canterbury) and Grace (Annalise Basso), are stripped naked and left stranded together on an island as victims of a vicious summer camp prank. But rather than returning to camp to face the humiliation, they decide to take off on the run together. Grace does not know how to swim, so she holds onto a broken tree branch as Howie swims across the lake.
They are soon washed onto a shore near a cottage. Howie goes to the lake and spots three men headed toward the shore in a boat. He decides to take a camera and a notepad to keep track of everything they steal in order to return it to its rightful owner along with an explanation of why it was taken. They continue of their journey and encounter a group of teenagers partying and drinking near a beach. Howie grabs some money out of one of the trucks, much to Grace's disapproval. They take a break on a family beach where they purchase a hot dog and a bag of chips. They also devise a plan to steal some new clothes. As they are walking through town later that day, they spot one of their camp counselors handing out pictures of them to the locals as well as the police. They get on a bus that is rounding up a group of children for a different camp.
Their cover is almost blown when two girls Tiwana (Alexus Lapri Geier) and Lydia (Deidra Shores) confront them about taking their seats; however, Calvin (Adrian Kali Turner) convinces the girls to take other seats. Once they arrive at the camp, Howie and Grace attempt to run away, but Calvin and Tiwana catch them and convince them to spend the night at camp. Tiwana and Calvin befriend and defend Howie and Grace during their time at camp, and Tiwana makes Grace promise to call her mother (Radha Mitchell).
The next night, Howie and Grace manipulate their way into a hotel room. They decide to hitchhike their way back to camp. Unfortunately, they encounter shady sheriff's deputy Perry Hofstadder (Val Kilmer) who lies to them and locks them in his truck. When he gets out to make a phone call, the children try to drive away. They go in the wrong direction and are forced to jump off a cliff into a lake. Grace again calls her mother who reveals the truth about Howie, saying that he's in foster care. After the phone call, Howie and Grace get into an argument. Lockwood (Frank Hoyt Taylor) informs the police about which direction the kids went. Grace spots her mother, and they run to greet each other as Howie watches in the distance. Some time later, when Grace is back home, She receives a package from Howie containing a letter and pictures of their time together. She says that Howie was adopted by a family in Connecticut, yet they still keep in touch, having seen each other the next summer to see cut-out people at a museum and going to NASA.

Tags: prank

Review:
It's a difficult task to make a film about bullying , especially in today's world , with news on the TV of children who takes their own life after having being bullied.Bullying is , unfortunately , still very much relevant , perhaps more now then ever before.Twitter,Facebooks and the likes are new weapons used by bullies everyday.
In the 80's (Although the film could have taken place any time , the director wisely decided not to overly use the 80's setting to avoid distracting audiences from the story itself) two kids at a camp , a boy and a girl who do not know each other , are victim of a vicious pranks by their fellow campers.They are stripped away of all their clothes and are left in the middle of an Island.The two kids eventually bond and decide to not stay for when the other campers come back to make fun of them or even worse take pictures of them as a "Trophy" , instead they run away and that is where the film and their adventures really begins.
This film really feels like a journey , you see the kids slowly building confidence after each stop they take before getting back home , although at that point they are note sure what "home" will be.
The two leads , Analise Basso and Chandler Canterbury (Who was also in the very good "A bag of hammers") are pitch perfect as Grace and Howie.They deliver a very true performance , they are absolutely believable , you absolutely believe this is happening to them.The dialogs also help a great deal , the kids speaks like normal kids , they don't have cheesy lines.
I will spare you too much details because I do not want to risk spoiling the film for you but I must say , I rarely get teary eyed watching films but the last scene of "standing up" was an exception thanks to Analise Basso , this girl has a bright future ahead of her.
All I can say is that on it's own merit , this is a very heartfelt , sensitive , well executed , hopeful film and I urge parents to watch it with their kids or teachers to show it to their pupils because it might gives bullies a taste of what it is like on the other side of the spectrum.
I am very sensitive to the subject of bullying and I feel this film , beside being really well made , is important.For theses reasons I give it a 9 out of 10 stars..
This is a story about two outcasts named Howie (played by Chandler Canterbury) and Grace (played by Annalise Basso) who find each other late one night stranded on Goats Island.
These two harmless and timid 12 year olds have been chosen by the camp bullies to be taken by canoes a mile from their campsite and dropped off in the dark of night but not before they are both stripped naked, their clothes absconded with and mocked at as the bullies take off in their canoes laughing at being successful in finding this year's new "goats".
Grace is beside herself in total fear wondering how she ever allowed herself to get caught up in this embarrassing situation with a boy (Howie) she has never met before.
Well, Howie who may also be very meek and sees that the canoes are returning to subject the two naked "goats" to more taunting tells Grace that he for one is not going to take any more of their crap and if she wants to avoid any further bullying they need to vacate Goats Island immediately.
The tragedy of these circumstances are that although the events may differ from child to child the trauma young preadolescents endure could be mitigated earlier if only parents would listen and focus on their child first and not on their careers.I commend director D J Caruso for compiling a very moving and endearing film that allows each of us to relate to these two preadolescent children and the fear that their bullies (especially in groups) can overwhelm them with.
This is a beautiful coming of age adventure film which takes place over a four day span and how these two children learn how to grow up quickly if they want to survive in the woods surrounded by water.
The kids run into other bullies along their journey but are now more resilient and willing to stand up for one another.
I give the film a perfect 10 and if I could give Standing Up a point for every tear I dropped over a number of heartbreaking scenes by these two fine young actors (Chandler Canterbury and Annalise Basso) I would.
I am a father of two daughters and found this movie highly inspirational about how not only children, but adults, can gain self-confidence and self-reliance relying on their inner strength.
To take that away from this movie is shocking and discouraging, that someone would "see" everything that happens in life as "sexual" and "unholy."In stark contrast to the other viewer's comments, this movie had the strength and inspiration of older movies like "My Girl." One of the most poignant parts of the movie is one of the runaways asking a stranger in another camp why the camper was being nice and the response was "why wouldn't I be." Those are words to emulate and live by.
These are 12-year-old kids who are asking questions that we as adults and parents can't effectively answer for our own children.
It was wonderful, very emotional, and made me think about all the times I hear people complain that there are no good movies being made anymore - it's not true, you just have to find films like this one.
As other reviewers have said, this is a coming of age drama about two young kids who are the victims of summer camp bullies.
Rather than return to the camp and face humiliation, they take off on an 2-3 day adventure, as the kids try to come to terms with the traumatic events and the hand that life has dealt them both.
I cried many times.One warning: while this is a family film, I think it may not be appropriate for kids under 8-9 years old.
Based on Brock Cole's "The Goats", Standing up is the story of two geeky kids, a girl and a boy, who are the victims of a mean holiday camp prank.
Stripped naked and left marooned on an island, the boy and girl are left to their own devices and decide to leave the camp and embark on an adventure on their own.I like that the main characters are geeks and outsiders, and they are ably played by Chandler Canderbury and Annalise Basso.
I certainly could identify with the awkward feeling of being a lonely young outsider searching for yourself and for companionship.I like the general theme of the film, that you can learn from all your experiences, good and bad, and discover yourself as a result.
However, the world view is a bit too optimistic, the kids never really are in real danger despite their dangerous decision to live on their own for a few days, and the lack of any real antagonist means the film lacks an exciting edge.Nevertheless, it is a good-natured film without nudity or swearing, and works well as family entertainment.
This movie must reach everyone especially the family audience and the kids.
A best children's movie I have seen after a long time, maybe after 'Bridge to Terabithia' and 'A Little Princess'.
I mean I liked many others between these movies but this one gave me kinda rare experience to feel the depth of the problem that faced by the tween kids.
Yeah the movie talks mainly about the physically weak kids who are easy targets to bully.
From their perspective 'Standing Up' tells the victims self discovery.If there is an award for children's movies in Oscar similar to animation movies and foreign movies, I would give to this one without thinking twice.
But if you get a chance to see don't miss it and recommend to others as well.'Standing Up' was based on the young adult novel called 'Goat Island'.
It centers around two characters Howie and Grace who are the victims in their summer camp prank.
There was a scene I liked the most in the movie where Grace phones her mother and her mother says something about Howie.
'Standing Up' is rare and must see movie, hope y'all won't miss after reading my review.
I thought this was a family movie but was horrified to watch it with my children.
The sexual tension between these 12 year old kids throughout the movie was just plain creepy.
This film told a story of two "goats", as they referred the chosen pairs who were left on the island, who together take an escape from the terrible trap.
The kids are clever and daring--the boy, Howie, I reckon he is supposed to be raised by a couple of scientists or at least a parent who will think neatly, like making a list of things they should replace--but I like how they made them still kids, innocent and easy to be afraid and anxious.
They have begun to think and behave like adults, they take actions to survive like grown-ups, but in the end they are still kids.
The film also shows that there are place where kids are safe from bullies.I prefer the film watched by grown-ups, not children.
This film, like a lot of films had suggested time after time, I think, tries to say to parents: listen to your kids, talk to them, make them comfortable to share the truth with you, that way you can protect them..
A sweet family film that will make you see the good in people..
This is a dear sweet coming of age film about love and the invisible umbrella of protection that a story can be.
These two children are so frail, and fragile, but are as adept as any seasoned actor at becoming more like a dog getting it's mane up, these kids learn to Stand up, and learn that trusting in each other can get you through the toughest times.
They are the only two people at camp who know what they have been through (humiliation, hunger, etc.) and before this experience they were each alone.Its really an amazing story because you see how the two grow to rely on each other and by the end of the film they have broken down the wall of just plain politeness/cold truce because they really care for each other and are very invested in each others lives.
The ending wraps up the story nicely (something changed from the novel "The Goats" on which this was based) and you just know that these two kids will be all right.Overall, I was impressed with the adaptation and I would watch it again and again and again.
I have published three books on the roles of teenagers in movies, and I can say with confidence that few of them depict early adolescence as delicately as this film.
Some viewers may find it too delicate in that regard-- there's little violence and no sex, no drugs or drinking, no insanity-- yet it shows the calculated anxiety that teens deal with when they are bullied and ostracized.Young viewers should be happy that the protagonists do not play into their victim roles, and learn to gain confidence in a slowly realistic way.
Sure, it's a boy and girl on the edge of their sexual awakening, but sex has yet to become an issue in their lives; self-esteem and survival are much higher priorities.Parents will be happy that the taboos of so many teen movies are not broached here, and that the only parent shown in the film is not bumbling or mean but actually accomplished and concerned.The novel the film is based on is probably better, because you can just feel the character development that it must have conveyed in many words which is here reduced to a few lines of dialogue and the actors' behavior.
Mostly because it is so rare they are made, since really who wants to watch two unknown kids deal with bullying and running away, but at the same time a lot of good actors start off as kids.
And to me, both Chandler Canterbury and Annalise Basso give the type of performance where you can see that, with the right agent, they both could have fruitful careers in the entertainment business.Characters & StoryThe story of Standing Up deals with two outcasts.
One being Howie (played by Chandler Canterbury) and the other Grace (played by Annalise Basso).
Howie, being resourceful, and a bit of a kleptomaniac, guides them on a 2-3 day journey in which as their bond grows stronger, so do they.PraiseDespite the whole bullying thing being what is talked about when it comes to this movie, thankfully it isn't really the main focus.
However, though the topic of bullying is a part of the film, the real focus is the journey Grace and Howie have in which both Basso and Canterbury really display a good emotional complexity which is often absent in adolescent characters.The reason I say this is because though children are often apart of stories in which dramatic, or rather traumatic, things happen, they are usually place in a supporting role so while their feelings are present, they often are secondary.
With Standing Up though, you can see these two young people portray the trauma of being ostracized, the awkwardness of receiving kindness from a stranger, and even watching them become interdependent is strange, but at the same time entertaining.
Basso, for instance, grows as a character from this sniveling little mouse into a girl who seems to have learn what confidence is, and though Howie surely helped, at the same time you can't say what she learns is fully based on her mimicking him.
And I say that because he shows the same type of emotional depth Hutcherson did in the movies mentioned above in which a boy is allowed to show his emotions, cry about his situation, and find this weird sort of way to show that despite how often we undermine kids, that they can easily feel like they have as much on their plate as people older than them.CriticismWhen it comes to critiquing this film, I must admit I did find it weird how the kids survived for the days they ran away.
Two kids foil the bullies at summer camp..
There is a history at this camp, bullies will take a target kid to a small island in the lake, called "Goat Island", them strip them and abandon them.
In this story we have two campers who get stranded at the same time, a boy Chandler Canterbury, probably about 12 during filming, as Howie, and a girl Annalise Basso, about the same age, as Grace.
Both of them wear glasses and get picked on by the older kids.Grace is almost hiding, shivering, wondering what to do, but Howie is different, he encounters her and right away devises a plan to get off the island and take a hike through the woods.
Grace can't swim so he gets a large dry tree branch to act as a float for her and off they go.More than anything this is a coming of age story for the two kids, forced to use their wits to get down the road, to find something to wear, something to eat, places to sleep.
These two kids would have had to be amazingly stupid to make the decisions they made and anyone watching this without realizing this the whole time is living in fantasy land.
She merely whines like a kid who doesn't want to be at camp so that we can move the movie along rather than ending it there with the cops rescuing them and arresting the criminals at the camp.Her mom gets a call from the camp that her daughter is missing, she goes to the camp and finds out part of the story (they leave out the naked part) and tells the camp a crime has been committed.
She is a lawyer and she knows the camp has been privy to this type of criminal activity for years, (which makes the camp criminally negligent) yet she doesn't do anything about it.This kid runs around the whole movie scared her mom's gonna beat her because she was the victim of a crime.
And who doesn't get angry when watching the kid do it?These two kids never once think to call the cops to get rescued, instead they start committing a series of unnecessary crimes to further the idiotic plot of this movie.Who in their right mind can sit through 90 minutes of incongruity without yelling at these two idiots to tell someone what happened to them?.
One of the dumbest drama movies to ever be put on film.
D.J. Caruso's Standing Up was a movie I thought was going to be horrible from the very beginning.
It takes place at night one mile off of a campsite where a girl named Grace (played by Annalise Basso) and a boy named Howie (played by chandler Canterbury) get forced to be naked by a few camp mates who actually took their clothes off ( perfect for a bad beginning) and go inside to a sort of abandoned building in order to seek shelter and are on a worthless survival adventure when Grace's mom (played by Radha Mitchell) is on a wild goose chase just trying to find her daughter and her fellow companion.
The empathy and thought this story invokes are necessary and welcome in this day and age where bullying and the simple social class tension is very prevalent.