Standing Still (film)

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Standing Still

Standing Still is a 2005 American romantic comedy directed by Matthew Cole Weiss in his feature film debut. The screenplay is by Matthew Perniciaro and Timm Sharp. The cast includes Amy Adams, Jon Abrahams, James Van Der Beek, Mena Suvari, Colin Hanks, Adam Garcia, Melissa Sagemiller, and Aaron Stanford. The film follows a group of lifelong friends who reunite in Los Angeles for a wedding and look back on their complicated relationships.

Plot in brief
The day before Elise and Michael’s wedding, their college friends gather for the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Rich and Samantha are the engaged couple hosting the wedding, with Samantha pregnant and Rich unsure about marriage. Sam “Pockets” Malone arrives from Thailand, still harboring feelings for Lana, a woman he once loved. Other friends include Quentin, a lively film agent, and Simon Black, a self-important movie star working with director Franklin Brauner. Jennifer, Elise’s former girlfriend from London, tries to stop the wedding because of lingering feelings for Elise. Michael’s estranged father Jonathan arrives hoping to reconcile.

That night, the men go to Vegas on Simon’s private jet, while the women stay at Elise and Michael’s home. Pockets clashes with Lana and then with Simon, ending up jailed after a misunderstanding with an undercover cop. Jennifer and Lana grow closer, becoming intimate. Michael reveals to Elise the truth about his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s death, while Elise admits she invited him to the wedding without telling him about their past. By morning, Michael reconciles with his father and invites him to the wedding. Lana starts to consider a new relationship with Jennifer, while Elise faces the future with a mix of doubt and hope. Quentin discovers Sarah, Elise’s sister, is underage, and they agree to wait until she turns 18. Rich surprises Samantha with a marriage proposal as she reveals her pregnancy.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Standing Still holds about 40% positive from around 20 critics, with an average score near 4.4/10. The consensus notes that the film’s young, attractive cast helps, but the dialogue and direction feel lacking.