The Upside tells the charming true story of an unlikely friendship between a paralyzed billionaire and a recently paroled convict, but there were some changes the movie made. A 2017 American remake of the 2011 French film The Intouchables, The Upside is directed by Neil Burger stars Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. It may not have resonated with audiences in the same way as its predecessor, but the film remains an uplifting tale made all the more impactful because it is inspired by a true story.
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This is the true story of quadriplegic millionaire Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his former aide, Abdel Sellou. Neil Burger’s 2017 remake makes some notable changes to the original French movie it is based on, including key aspects of Phillippe and Abdel’s story. Looking at how the true story compares, some more unbelievable elements are based on fact. However, a few of the changes to The Upside‘s true story are controversial, and there’s plenty to examine regarding the differences.
10 The Real-Life Philippe Was Descended From French Aristocrats
The Movie Depicted Him As An Entrepreneur
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In The Upside, Philip Lacasse (Bryan Cranston), is an extremely wealthy entrepreneur who made his fortune buying up failing tech startups and making them successful. However, the real Philippe di Borgo’s fortune came from a much different source. The di Borgo name is part of the French aristocracy and can be traced back to the 1500s. In real life, Philippe was the son of a French duke and became quadriplegic following a paragliding accident in 1993 (via Newsweek).
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He grew up surrounded by wealth and luxury, almost all of which he inherited from his noble ancestors. This change offers an interesting distinction in the story, as Philip’s self-made success adds to his pride, which makes him somewhat difficult to deal with at times. Instead, in real life, Philippe was suicidal at times and finally found a reason to live when Abdel came into his life. This change altered how audiences related to Philip, but the change didn’t affect the overall story.
9 Philippe Was Successful In The Champagne Industry
Philip’s Wealth Was Less Focused On French Culture In The Movie
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While he may have grown up wealthy, the real Philippe added to his wealth by becoming a successful businessman, a trait that he shares with his fictional counterpart. However, rather than Silicon Valley, the real Philippe flexed his business strengths within France’s illustrious champagne industry. There, he became involved in two of France’s most popular champagne houses, first at Moet & Chandon, where he worked as a manager, and then later at Pommery, where he became the company’s director.
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It is another change to the reality of Philippe’s wealth that perhaps would not have translated as well to an American story. Since The Upside was an American remake of the French tale, making his wealth tech-based helps it translate better. French audiences related just fine to the champagne industry when The Intouchables told the same true story.
8 Philippe And His First Wife Adopted Two Children
Philip’s Solitude Was Key To Bryan Cranston’s The Upside Character
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In The Upside, Bryan Cranston’s character is depicted as being childless and unmarried. However, after Philippe married his first wife in 1973, the real couple later adopted a son and a daughter, both of whom were originally born in Colombia. Interestingly, The Upside reverses the role of parentage from the true story, making Kevin Hart’s character, Dell Scott, the one with a child.
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It is an understandable poetic license to take to sell the message of the movie better. Having Philip seem like he has no one else in his life amplifies the profound nature of his friendship with Dell. While this is a bit emotionally manipulative, it was clearly a good move from a storytelling perspective when showing how much Philip needed help.
7 Abdel Sellou Was An Algerian Immigrant
Like Philip, Dell’s The Upside Character Is American
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Kevin Hart’s character in The Upside, Dell, shares many similarities with his real-life counterpart, Abdel. Both were petty thieves who were incarcerated and became caregivers through a government-sanctioned rehabilitation program. The differences, however, begin with their respective origins. Abdel’s childhood was tumultuous, and he was sent from his native Algeria to live with family in Paris. However, his troubles continued into adulthood, and he was eventually arrested for pickpocketing. After a brief incarceration, Abdel was given the opportunity to work to avoid more jail time and the possibility of deportation.
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This is where he ended up meeting Philippe. Of course, the American version of this story changes the nationality of the key characters, including Philip, who is also made an American. Dell’s change is a more controversial one, as it ignores the potential for a storyline featuring a prominent immigrant character. However, there is also a notable commentary on the difference between a wealthy white man and a struggling African-American character, which The Upside features.
6 Abdel Also Stole From His Employer
The Items Stolen Was Changed For The Movie
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One very specific detail that carried over from the true story to the film occurs at the very beginning. During his interview with Philip, Dell steals a rare, first-edition copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. An almost identical scene happened in real life, only rather than a century-old copy of a classic work of American literature, Abdel stole a Fabergé egg, presumably to sell on the street for a small fortune.
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The moment is pivotal in starting their relationship, and the fact that it happened in real life is a powerful example of how such moments are not always the work of fiction. The change in what was stolen was likely also made to differentiate the American audience from the French audience. Both items were valuable, but the book made more sense with the story moving to the United States.
5 Abdel Was Childless
Dell Was Given A Push On His Path Of Betterment
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Part of the motivating factor behind Dell’s decision to work in The Upside stems from his desire to provide for his child and ex-girlfriend. He wants to prove to his family that he’s changed and can be a better man. In real life, Abdel didn’t have that problem because he did not have any children at the time he met Phillippe. His reason for working for Phillippe began solely with his need for a job.
Just as with the change of making Philip childless in The Upside, the choice to give Dell a child is an understandable one. While he didn’t necessarily need the extra motivation to work for Philip, it is a detail that suggests he is on a path of redemption. This is much less controversial than his nationality change, as this was simply a storytelling device to give Dell something to make him more relatable to the viewers.
4 Phillippe’s Wife Was Alive When Abdel Met Him
Nicole Kidman’s Character In The Upside Was Also Changed
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By the time Dell meets Philip in The Upside, Philip’s wife has already died of cancer, and it is assumed that several years have passed since then. In reality, Phillippe’s wife was still alive by the time Abdel began working as his caretaker, though she did die of cancer shortly thereafter. While it is a very personal detail to have changed in the movie, it is another one that makes sense for the narrative of The Upside as it would be hard to become invested in the friendship between Philip and Dell while Philip’s wife was battling cancer.
Philip and his secretary Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) have romantic feelings for each other
Throughout the movie, it is also implied that Philip and his secretary Yvonne (Nicole Kidman) have romantic feelings for each other. While Kidman’s character does have a real-life equivalent, there is no evidence they were ever romantically involved. It is a fairly predictable change for the movie to make, wanting to add some romance into the story, but it is an unnecessary subplot.
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3 Philippe And Abdel Had A Number Of Hilarious Hijinks
The Friendship Between Philip And Dell Grew Out Of Pranks
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It is extremely well documented that once the real-life counterparts of Philip and Dell became friends, they took to pulling pranks and going on silly little adventures. This included souping up Philippe’s wheelchair to make it faster, and joyriding around Paris in his collection of exotic cars. Even the scene in The Upside where Philip fakes a seizure to get Dell out of a speeding ticket is identical to a real-life incident when Abdel was caught speeding in Philippe’s Rolls-Royce with Philippe in the passenger seat.
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These adventures with the two men offer a lot of charm and humor to the movie. It makes them even more enjoyable to know they are hilariously taken from the real things these characters used to do. “He treated me like I needed to be treated in the tough times ahead,” Philippe said (via Newsweek). “I needed to be back on track. Pity is the last thing you need. Pity is hopeless. Pity is what someone gives you because he is afraid to take care of you.”
2 Both Men Eventually Settled Down And Got Married
The Coincidence Behind Their Respective Romances Was Also Omitted
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While The Upside ends with the audience being assured that Philip and Dell remain friends to this day, an important detail is left out. Shortly after the publication of the book that would later inspire The Intouchables and its many remakes, Philippe and Abdel went on holiday to Morocco, where Abdel ended up meeting the woman whom he would eventually marry. Interestingly enough, Philip also ended up meeting a woman in Morocco who would end up becoming his second wife.
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Ironically, this is the kind of detail that, if included in the movie, would have felt like a bit of unrealistic Hollywood storytelling to give a happy ending. This ending was also impossible since the movie made several other changes from their true stories, including Philip’s attraction to Yvonne and Dell’s ex-girlfriend and child in the film that didn’t exist in real life.
1 The Two Finished Their Professional Relationship On Good Terms
The Real Dell And Philip From The Upside Remained Friends
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Like in The Upside, Abdel stopped working as Philippe’s caregiver, but their working relationship ended much more amicably than how it was depicted. In the movie, Philip’s insecurities about venturing outside his comfort zone and the prospect of losing Dell when he starts his own business lead to Philip firing him. In real life, the two parted ways after finding their respective partners, and no such argument occurred between them as it had in the film.
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Abdel moved back to Algeria with his wife, and Philippe continued to live in Morocco. The two remain in close contact, and to this day, Abdel continues to make it a priority to take the long flight from Algeria to Morocco at least once a year, just to visit his friend and former boss. While it is nice to know that no conflict arose between the real-life friends, the movie needed that third act friction to add some dramatic weight to the story and make the ending of The Upside more impactful.
How The Intouchables Handles The True Story
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While The Upside is the second version of this true story to be told, the English remake of the French movie The Intouchables follows the original quite closely. The Intouchables also handles adapting the true story in very similar ways, with many of the changes that were made also reflected in The Upside, while it also decided to keep some of the key moments and most memorable aspects of the true story.
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The Upside Cast Vs. The Intouchables Cast
|
Character |
The Upside Actor |
The Intouchables Actor |
|---|---|---|
|
Philippe |
Bryan Cranston |
François Cluzet |
|
Driss |
Kevin Hart |
Omar Sy |
|
Yvonne |
Nicole Kidman |
Anne Le Ny |
Much like in The Upside, The Intouchables is a condensed version of this story. In reality, Adbel cared for Philippe for a whole ten years before moving on. It would be hard for the movie to depict this timeline in a similar way and still maintain an effective story. However, The Intouchables does a great job of highlighting some of the best antics Abdel and Philippe got up to in their time together much in the same way The Upside does.
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Both movies excel at focusing on the relationship between these two men, above all else. Every movie based on a true story is likely going to make some significant changes. The Intouchables is no different, but it gets to the center of what makes the true story so special. The dynamic between Abdel and Philippe and the experiences they shared together are brought to life by the fictional characters of Driss and Philippe.
The Upside PG-13
The Upside is a 2019 drama film directed by Neil Burger. It stars Bryan Cranston as a wealthy quadriplegic named Philip, who hires Dell, an ex-convict played by Kevin Hart, to be his caregiver. The film explores the unlikely friendship that develops between the two men as they help each other navigate their respective challenges. The Upside is based on the French film The Intouchables.
Director Neil Burger Release Date January 11, 2019 Cast Aja Naomi King , Genevieve Angelson , Michael Quinlan , Nicole Kidman , Tate Donovan , Golshifteh Farahani , Suzanne Savoy , Kevin Hart , Bryan Cranston , Jahi Di’Allo Winston , Julianna Margulies Runtime 126 minutes