“The Upside” is based on a true story. It is actually the second movie based on a true story. The first movie is in French and subtitled and its name is “The Intouchables”. That movie is my absolute favorite movie of all time so naturally I wanted to see how “The Upside” compared. I was skeptical of Kevin Hart playing the part of Dris. I was confident that Bryan Cranston could pull off the part of the main character. I was pleasantly surprised at Kevin Hart’s portrayal of Dris. Known for his in your face comedy, I thought that he would absolutely ruin this movie. Instead he came across as sincere and relatable with moments of appropriate comic relief. Bryan Cranston, though very good in the part, could not compare with the his counterpart in “The Intouchables” and neither could Hart. That said, this movie is great for putting a spinal cord injury patient in the role of the main character. In “The Intouchables”, there weren’t as many technological advances to assist a quadriplegic. In “The Upside,” the main character had all the latest gadgets to increase his quality-of-life. The advantage of smart phones and Siri is wondrously useful for those without the use of their hands and arms. Just six years ago, my husband and I did not have access to this technology or maybe we did and didn’t realized how much it would help him be more independent. Being a quadriplegic means giving up control to other people in almost every aspect of your life so to be able to control a smart phone or computer with your voice is a life-changing thing. I wish so much that my husband could have had access to this. It may have eased his depression/suffering or maybe not. I don’t know. I’m just glad that it’s available to others now.