Drew Barrymore plays two roles in "The Stand In" and it's tough to decide which is more intolerable.
There are two Drew Barrymores in this new comedy and you'll hate 'em both
Barrymore does double duty in a crass comedy.
December 11, 2020 at 11:00PM
One, Candy, is a dissolute superstar who abuses co-workers, shows up on set plastered and moans about how awful her privileged life is. The other may be even less pleasant: Paula, who is Candy's double at work and at court-ordered rehab, where Paula pretends to be Candy while Candy holes up in her mansion, feeling sorry for herself. Which gives Paula the idea to be vile Candy all the time.
It's possible to make a funny movie about two nasty people, but the crass, loud "The Stand In" doesn't have many laughs and its timing is horrible. A movie star whining about how awful it is to be rich and famous is always going to be a tough sell but in the middle of a pandemic, it's doomed.
Barrymore dives into trashing her own nice-guy image but the only thing the script gives her to work with is a bad fake nose and an annoyingly kittenish voice for Paula. She can't make us care about either of her characters but you may end up feeling a little sorry for her.
Chris Hewitt • 612-673-4367
The Stand In
⋆ out of four stars
Rating: R for language and drug use.Watch: Video-on-demand.
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