The ultimate odd couple, Laurel and Hardy charmed audiences around the world — until fame and fortune faded.
On Thursday, March 14, the Brock University Film Society (BUFS) presents Stan & Ollie, the funny and touching true story of Hollywood’s greatest comedy duo in the twilight of their careers.
This bittersweet homage to the legends features Steve Coogan (The Trip) as Stan Laurel and John C. Reilly (The Sisters Brothers) as Oliver Hardy, with a script by Jeff Pope (Coogan’s co-writer on Philomena).
In the waning years of an illustrious career, and facing an uncertain future, Laurel and Hardy embark on a gruelling tour of post-war Britain. The act is a hit with their adoring fans, but the partnership is threatened by the spectre of their past and Hardy’s failing health. Aware they may be approaching their swan song, the two try to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.
“As a winsome glance back, and as a piece of artistic preservation, Stan & Ollie would be enjoyable enough. But it becomes truly transcendent in the hands of John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan,” says the Washington Post.
“Every character is wonderfully realized, every performance is spectacular,” says IGN. “You’ll laugh all the way through, you’ll cry by the end, and you’ll see the brilliance of Laurel and Hardy come back to life via the very same cinematic magic that made them legends in the first place.”
The stars’ combative wives are masterfully played by Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter) and Nina Arianda (Florence Foster Jenkins), providing what one promoter in the film calls “two double acts for the price of one.”
Tickets for all BUFS shows are available at the Film House in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) on the evening of screenings. General admission is $9.50 or $7 for members, plus tax. Memberships are available through the Film House website.
Visit the BUFS web page for a full list of this season’s selections. A calendar of films coming to the PAC over the next few months is posted on the Film House website. Look for the red B that indicates a BUFS-hosted screening.
For more than 40 years, the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film has hosted the film society (previously known as a series) to bring some of the best in independent, international and Canadian cinema to St. Catharines.
