‘Stand Up Guys’ Director on Life, Loyalty, and Laughs

“[The writer, Noah Haidle] was riding his bike in Coney Island one day and saw three old gangster-type looking guys sitting on a park bench drinking coffee out of paper cups,” explains Stand Up Guys Director Fisher Stevens.  “He was imaging what their lives were like…”

And what he came up with involves Academy Award® winners Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin as retired gangsters who reunite for one epic last night.  

“I was inspired by many films from the 1970s… because they were about characters and not so much about big plot points and big set pieces. I made sure there were no cell phones, no computers, nothing very modern in Stand Up Guys… It was like time had forgotten this town and these people.”

Except that these people don’t want to be forgotten.  

Doc (Walken) picks up his best friend Val (Pacino), who is being released from prison after serving 28 years for refusing to snitch on a criminal associate.  They reconnect with another old pal, Hirsch (Arkin), reflecting on days of glory gone by.  But despite their age, they make a valiant effort to compensate for the decades of mayhem they’ve missed.

This tough but touching story revolves around one dangerous secret: One of the friends is facing a dilemma and a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is ticking.  

Situational humor adds to film’s poignancy, including one scene completely improvised by the actors. (“I overheard them having this discussion [about penis enhancement] about mutual friends and then said, ‘We have to get this on film.’ So we did.”)  And confronting the past puts everything into perspective.

According to Stevens, the ultimate message to the film is “to live life to the fullest everyday. Whether it’s your last or it’s not, being a loyal friend is more important than almost anything.”

Stand Up Guys releases nationwide today, February 1, 2013.

*All images provided courtesy Roadside Attractions Publicity, credit Saeed Adyani