Movie Review: 'The Stand In' starring Drew Barrymore

The Stand In stars Drew Barrymore in the dual role of a movie star and her dumpy stand in. The movie star, Candy Black, is a comedy icon in the vein of an Adam Sandler, who became a superstar for her gross out comedies where she was paid millions of dollars to tumble to the ground and say her ludicrous catchphrase “Hit me where it hurts.” Naturally, behind the scenes, Candy is a complete disaster.

After one particularly nasty scandal, a drunken tirade on a film set, surreptitiously recorded and posted online, left one of her co-stars (Ellie Kemper, in a cameo) badly injured, Candy withdrew from public life hoping never to be seen again. Unfortunately, Candy’s years of drunken excess catch up with her again, forcing her to go to rehab and a fate she dreads more than anything, being seen in public.

This leads Candy to an epiphany, what about her old stand in, Paula? Paula was nearly her twin for over a decade. What if she could convince Paula to be her and go to rehab for her. She can remain a hermit in her decaying mansion, working in her favored pastime of woodworking and Paula, who hasn’t worked since Candy ended her career, can get paid. Paula, who was living in her car when Candy sought her out, turns out to be eager to help.

Unfortunately for Candy, Paula turns out to really like the spotlight and when Candy’s agent, played by comedian T.J Miller, finds out that Candy is behaving herself and getting out of rehab early, he starts putting out feelers about a comeback tour for his formerly biggest client. Seeing the potential of money in a partnership with Paula, Candy reluctantly agrees to a couple of paid interview appearances, essentially an apology tour, only to find Paula is more ambitious than Candy might have imagined as she begins to steal Candy's life.

First, let me praise the technology that brings Drew Barrymore face to face with Drew Barrymore in The Stand In. This is some impressively seamless work that brings the two together and Barrymore gives each a distinct personality. They aren’t great personalities, but they are distinct and that’s necessary for this plot to achieve the bare minimum of watchability that it indeed does reach.

Drew Barrymore throws herself into both of roles with confidence but she’s often left flailing, searching for jokes that fall desperately flat. Wanting to give both characters a unique voice is good but Barrymore struggles with the challenge of two voices and goes broad with both affectations to little or no comic effect. The voice of Paula is particularly grating in a breathy, nasal whine.

The bigger problem however, is a screenplay by Sam Bain that makes very odd and unnecessary choices. One of the biggest blunders is trying to force these two characters to share a love interest. Actor Michael Zegan, plays Steve, whom Candy falls in love with via a dating site for people who love woodworking. That’s the funniest joke of the movie, by the way, a dating site for woodworking hobbyists.

As Paula takes over larger portions of Candy’s life she makes the bizarre decision to hijack Candy’s relationship with Steve. This is a strange and ultimately unnecessary complication that strains credulity as Paula knows nothing of woodworking, knows none of Candy and Steve’s inside jokes and yet is somehow able to convince Steve that she is Candy by the use of terrible writing and plot convenience.

In the end, Paula could have achieved her goals without interfering in Candy’s relationship with Steve and nothing in the rest of the movie would have been affected. The subplot is obvious padding and an excuse for a sitcom gag about Steve showing up at Candy’s mansion and Paula having to engage in shenanigans to keep Candy away from the house and from finding out about her and Steve. It wasn’t funny when some ancient sitcom did this plot and it’s not funny in The Stand In either.

What I find the most frustrating about The Stand In however, isn't that it's unfunny or poorly written. Rather it's that there are the bones of a not terrible, high concept comedy. Paula takes over Candy’s life in order to live her dreams of stardom and adulation only to learn that you should be careful what you wish for. Elements of that plot emerge in The Stand In but they are buried under Barrymore’s broad performances as both Candy and Paula, the terrible slapstick gags and the unnecessarily complicated romance plot.

Having Paula pretend to be candy on one date has comic possibilities but her trying to steal him for herself against all good sense and judgment is a terrible idea. This subplot about Paula and Steve stifles far too much of the run time of The Stand In and it's never funny. It's cringe and painful to endure, but it's never funny.

The Stand In opens in theaters on December 11th and will stream on rental services soon after.