Stand! (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Stand!

| image = Stand poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| native_name =

| director = Robert Adetuyi

| writer = {{plainlist|

}}

| screenplay =

| story =

| based_on = {{Based on|Strike!|Danny Schur}}

| producer =

{{plainlist|

Danny Schur
Jeff Peeler

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| narrator =

| cinematography = Roy H. Wagner

| editing = Ron Wiseman

| music = Danny Schur

| production_companies = {{plainlist|

Boomtalk Musical Production
Frantic Films

}}

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2019|11|29|ref1={{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-strike-film-1.5376918 |title=Winnipeg General Strike inspires gritty love story for the silver screen |accessdate=November 30, 2019 |date=November 28, 2019 |first=Karen |last=Pauls |work=CBC News |archive-date=November 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129231059/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-strike-film-1.5376918 |url-status=live }}}}

| runtime = 110 minutes

| country = Canada

| language = English

| budget = {{CAD|7}} million

| gross =

}}

Stand! is a 2019 Canadian musical film set during the 1919 Winnipeg general strike that occurred in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Directed by Robert Adetuyi and written by Danny Schur and Rick Chafe, it is based on the 2005 stage musical Strike! by Schur. The film stars Marshall Williams, Laura Slade Wiggins, Lisa Bell, and Gregg Henry.

Premise

An immigrant Romeo and Juliet in 1919 battle for love and a better future during a time of social upheaval.{{cite web |url=https://www.cineplex.com/Movie/stand |title=Stand! |website=cineplex.com |accessdate=November 30, 2019}}

Cast

{{castlist|

Marshall Williams - Stefan Sokolowski
Laura Slade Wiggins - Rebecca Almazoff
Lisa Bell - Emma Jones
Gregg Henry - Mike Sokolowski
Hayley Sales - Helen Armstrong
Paul Essiembre - A.J. Anderson
Tristan Carlucci - Moishe Almazoff
Gabriel Daniels - Gabriel
Ryan Ash - Davey
Blake Taylor - Senator Robertson
Robin Ruel - Susan Robertson
Boris Gulyarin - Aleksei

}}

Production

In 2005, Danny Schur produced the stage musical Strike! set during the events of the Winnipeg General Strike. Approaching the 100th anniversary of the strike, a movie version was developed by Schur and Rick Chafe.{{cite news |work=Global News |title=Big screen adaptation a dream for Strike! musical creator |first=Sam |last=Thompson |date=November 27, 2018 |accessdate=November 29, 2019 |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4704415/big-screen-adaptation-a-dream-for-strike-musical-creator/ |archive-date=July 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724155619/https://globalnews.ca/news/4704415/big-screen-adaptation-a-dream-for-strike-musical-creator/ |url-status=live }} It was originally intended to be shot in 2016, with Samantha Barks attached to play Rebecca Almazoff and Joseph Novak to direct.{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/samantha-barks-strikes-for-musical/5098494.article?blocktitle=LATEST-FILM-NEWS-HEADLINES&contentID=42422 |first=Andreas |last=Wiseman |title=Les Miserables star attached to period musical Strike! |work=ScreenDaily |date=January 5, 2016 |accessdate=November 30, 2019 |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818213507/https://www.screendaily.com/news/samantha-barks-strikes-for-musical/5098494.article?blocktitle=LATEST-FILM-NEWS-HEADLINES&contentID=42422 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |work=Winnipeg Free Press |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/gold-strike-362905121.html |title=Gold Strike! Dogged producer lands his leading lady for film set in 1919 Winnipeg |first=Brad |last=Oswald |date=December 18, 2015 |accessdate=November 30, 2019 |archive-date=January 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110202123/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/movies/gold-strike-362905121.html |url-status=live }} Both had to be replaced as the production was delayed. The final production was filmed entirely in Winnipeg in August and September 2018. Most of the cast were local Winnipeg actors, including Marshall Williams, who had previously starred on the Glee television series.

Release

The movie was premiered at the Royal Cinema in Toronto on September 9, 2019, during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, although not as an in-festival film.{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/article/Movie-Musical-STAND-to-Screen-in-Toronto-20190808 |date=August 9, 2019 |title=Movie Musical STAND! to Screen in Toronto |website=Broadway World Toronto |accessdate=November 30, 2019 |archive-date=August 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829155442/https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/article/Movie-Musical-STAND-to-Screen-in-Toronto-20190808 |url-status=live }} The movie was released in selected theatres across Canada on November 29, 2019.

Reception

Critic Randall King of the Winnipeg Free Press rated it three out of five stars, saying the musical play "hit incisive notes" but had been turned into "a conventional, contemporary Hollywood movie, geared not to the cineaste but to the wide-open movie marketplace." He was disappointed that Adetuyi, who had previously worked on dance-centric films, had "eschewed choreography."{{cite news |work=Winnipeg Free Press |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/dream-on-the-silver-screen-565579552.html |title=Dream on the silver screen |first=Randall |last=King |date=November 28, 2019 |accessdate=November 30, 2019 |archive-date=August 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818213509/https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2019/11/28/dream-on-the-silver-screen |url-status=live }} The Globe and Mail described Stand! as a "spirited new Canadian movie musical" that features "a well-crafted score plus Broadway-worthy tunes that stick in your head." Reviewer Neil Weisensel singled out the performances by Gregg Henry, Marshall Williams, Laura Slade Wiggins, Hayley Sales, Lisa Bell, and Paul Essiembre. Noting the parallels between the world of 1919 and the present, he wrote that "it's heartening to see a film that is actually about something, made by people who are expert storytellers." He gave the film three and a half out of four stars.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/reviews/article-winnipeg-general-strike-musical-stand-delivers-a-meaningful-story-and/|title=Winnipeg General Strike musical delivers a meaningful story|last=Weisensel|first=Neil|date=November 27, 2019|website=The Globe and Mail|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202155850/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/reviews/article-winnipeg-general-strike-musical-stand-delivers-a-meaningful-story-and/|archive-date=December 2, 2019|access-date=December 3, 2019}}

References

{{reflist|

refs={{cite web |url=http://stand-movie.com/about/ |title=About the Film |website=stand-movie.com |accessdate=November 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201130210/http://stand-movie.com/about/ |url-status=live }}

}}