Stan & Ollie

By: Jamie Steinberg

One of the most iconic comedy duos of all time were Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The laughter they brought to the masses shines in the movie Stan & Ollie, which explores the waning years of the comedians and their coming to terms with their physical and comedic decline. While laughter is their business, there is a deep melancholy to seeing these talents reconcile that the end to their fifteen minutes of fame is near.

John C. Reilly takes on the role of Oliver Hardy. After four hours of makeup, I don’t feel he quite nails the look, but he does embody the heart of the comedian well. From his recreation of Hardy’s famous role in Way Out West to the physical manifestation of a young life lived hard, Reilly really gives his portrayal so much depth. In fact, it might be his best role though since Chicago. Steve Coogan seamlessly steps into the shoes of Stan Laurel with an uncanny resemblance. He and Reilly also share an incredible onscreen chemistry that show off how in sync their real-life counterparts were.

The film begins with the exploration of the creation of the duo’s comedy. Laurel, known for the writing portion of the pairing, is constantly exploring his ideas for bits and gags with Hardy. We also get to see the seedier side of their friendship when Hardy is quick to settle contract negotiations, much to Laurel’s dismay, in order to be certain that he can payback gambling debts.

The film then jumps forward to 1953 at the beginning of their European comedy tour. Hardy and Laurel are hoping that the success of this trek will help convince a Hollywood mogul at Columbia Pictures to invest in a Robin Hood themed movie they’d like to make. By this point though, the guys have been estranged for years and their promoter seems to only be able to book them at small venues. Adding insult to injury is the fact that audience members keep coming up to express how much their parents and grandparents loved them. Not deterred, their booker sends out Laurel and Hardy on various publicity events that get plenty of attention thanks to the duo thinking on their feet to come up with new comedy routines. This ends up gaining them a larger audience at their gigs, but the lengths they go to for a laugh ends up putting a strain on Hardy’s ticker.

With the end of their career growing near, tension and emotions run high. Hurt feelings and bruised egos rear their ugly heads yet Laurel’s zest for comedy never fades. Both men are true performers, in every sense of the word, but with time no longer on their side the spotlight on them begins to fade. Filled with tender and tough moments with a lovely look at the quintessential comics, Stan & Ollie shines and gives this comedy duo their due.