The Stand In

Once you step in shoes of another,be prepared for what's to come.. Towards the end you see that Paula,started taking on traits of Candy.

Not saying either was justified for their actions,or lack thereof but one walked away a better person overall.

This wasn't a comedy,instead dark humor on fame & being true to yourself.

Drew has done better work,still worth seeing because she's in it.

This was beyond bad from start to finish. Do yourself a favour and do not rent or watch this horror of a movie. Made it through only because we paid for it. It was an embarrassment for Drew Barrymore and we kept asking ourselves, why on earth did she do this movie. It's uncomfortable to watch and not at all funny.

Drew Barrymore plays Candy Black. She started as a carpenter, was called in to work on a movie, and when the actress who was supposed to take a comedy fall didn't show up, Miss Barrymore stepped in, and rose to be the female comedy star of Hollywood, with the stereotypical problems: temperament, substance abuse. When one of her fellow actresses is injured on set, it's all about Miss Barrymore, and she walks off the set. five years later she's living like a recluse in a huge house with a front gate like Paramount, in trouble with the IRS, and under judicial order to go to rehab. Which she is too depressed to do.

Drew Barrymore also plays Paula, who was Candy Black's stand-in, and pretty much a dead ringer. So Miss Black tracks down Paula, has her go to rehab in her place. Now the public is anxious to rehabilitate Candy Black, the studios see profit, but she is not interested. She wants to stay at home and make furniture. So Paul takes her place....and her life.

Although listed as a comedy, it is not one. It is a serious movie with themes about the problems of publicity, and the issues of identity. Miss Barrymore, whose profile is looking a lot like her famous grandfather's, is up to the dual roles. If the issues of the movie are not hers, in her first movie in five years, she is certainly convincing. Unfortunately, the script does not offer much that is original in execution.

Miss Barrymore has a stand-in in this movie, Brooke Carrell. She also has two stunt doubles, Luci Romberg and Heidi Pascoe as the stunt double for "Paula". Why they needed 23 producers (including Miss Barrymore) is a mystery to me.

Ok, I understand the bad reviews because the movie was presented as a comedy, but it's not a comedy at all. It's more of a drama / thriller movie and within those genres it works very well. Drew Barrymore did an excellent job, she played two roles, this depressed, overwhelmed woman with severe problems and on the other hand there is this other character, who at first seems to be a happy girl with problems but innocent, although little by little she is showing her true essence. So if you are going to see this movie, I recommend you not to see it as a comedy, because you will not find jokes, funny scenes, etc. See this movie for what it is, a drama with touches of thriller. And I repeat, Drew Barrymore really did an excellent job here!

The story is a bit trite. A few laughs though so not terrible. Barrymore's performance is really very good I'll have to admit. Pity the script wasn't up to it.