DVD Review: Stan & Ollie

Stan & Ollie
(DVD Stan)

Growing up as a kid in the 1960s and early 1970s, I watched a lot of classic older comedy films that would air on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on the small handful of television stations that were available at that time. Among the classic film comedy teams, I tended to gravitate towards Abbot & Costello or Martin & Lewis — I never did care for the Marx Brothers, and to my youthful eyes, Laurel & Hardy just seemed a little…”old fashioned”.

Fast-forward a few decades, and having now seen quite a few of the classic Laurel & Hardy films, I’ve grown to have a much deeper appreciation for their contributions to American cinema — and to the influence they had on so many film comedians who followed them.

It was therefore with some trepidation that I went into viewing Stan & Ollie, a biographical drama that looks at the relationship between Stan Laurel and Oliver “Babe” Hardy in their final few years. My first concern was whether they’d have actors who could do those real-life performers justice. My second concern was that the film would be a depressing look at a relationship that had fractured or disintegrated. On both of these counts, I was very pleasantly surprised. Steve Coogan as Stan and John C. Reilly as Ollie are absolutely mesmerizing in this film. And, considering that the film covers a period of time in which their careers were waning and Ollie was facing major health issues, Stan & Ollie still manages to be an uplifting and emotionally satisfying film.

I can’t recommend this one highly enough — the writing, acting, directing, set design, make-up, costuming, music — it’s all spot on. For anyone who appreciates the artistry of Laurel & Hardy, and enjoys historical biopics — this one is superb!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try tracking down any of the classic old Laurel & Hardy films or shorts, some of which are available via the libraries, either on DVD or in our Hoopla digital service.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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