What Goes Up

2009
R
1h 55m

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

YOUR RATING

Steve Coogan and Hilary Duff in What Goes Up (2009)

A reporter sent to cover the Space Shuttle Challenger launch becomes caught up in the lives of a group of young students.

Play trailer1:34

1 Video

17 Photos

Comedy Drama

In the mid-1980s, an emotionally damaged New York reporter is sent to cover the Challenger Space Shuttle launch only to become mixed up in the lives of some dysfunctional local students.In the mid-1980s, an emotionally damaged New York reporter is sent to cover the Challenger Space Shuttle launch only to become mixed up in the lives of some dysfunctional local students.In the mid-1980s, an emotionally damaged New York reporter is sent to cover the Challenger Space Shuttle launch only to become mixed up in the lives of some dysfunctional local students.

Director
- Jonathan Glatzer
Writers
- Jonathan Glatzer
- Robert C. Lawson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Jonathan Glatzer
Writers
- Jonathan Glatzer
- Robert C. Lawson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win total

Did you know

Trivia
The film has been in production for many years. Originally Mandy Moore was cast as Lucy, Michelle Williams was cast as Tess and Peter Sarsgaard was cast as Campbell. Later, Steve Coogan was cast as Campbell and Amber Tamblyn was cast as Tess, Kelli Garner was cast as Peggy, Paul Dano was cast as Jim, Alison Pill was cast as Ann and the singer Nellie McKay was cast as Sue . In early 2008 all six dropped out and Amanda Seyfried was given the role of the character Peggy. She was then cast as Sophie in the film Mamma Mia! (2008) and dropped out of What Goes Up (2009) and was replaced by Sarah Lind. Hilary Duff and Olivia Thirlby were then cast in the roles of Lucy and Tess respectively. Josh Peck, Ingrid Nilson and Andrea Brooks were then cast in the roles of Jim, Ann and Sue respectively.

Goofs
In the scene near the very end when Steve Coogan's character Campbell is driving away you can clearly see the shoulder of someone riding in the passenger seat of the car.

Quotes
Campbell Babbitt: Legends aren't born, they're written. And really that's what we all do, one way or another, when someone we love dies. And not just anyone, but someone extraordinary... Why not a hero? When they up and die, we're left with nothing. Nothing but the task to make them immortal. Only a magnificent epitaph will grant eternal life. And it's up to us, the ones left behind, to write it. However we see fit.

Alternate versions
The version released in theaters was 10 minutes shorter, had several scenes reordered and had a number of different music cues. This was the version preferred by the filmmakers. Sony Pictures was unable to release this version on DVD citing time constraints.