Film Review: The Opening Act

Jimmy O. Yang in The Opening Act

How do you know when to keep trying and when it is a good idea to give up? The title of comedian Steve Byrne’s feature The Opening Act hints at this dilemma of knowing whether to pursue innate talent, or to throw in the towel, which probably fazes all of us at one time or another. Even when its main character takes a few missteps here and there, The Opening Act as a film never falters in its sympathetic depiction of a young man passionate about stand-up.          

Cinema is filled with many talentless hacks both in front and behind the screen. Case in point: Robert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) in The King of Comedy. That film basically invents cringe, and the Joker was inspired by it. Robert (the character) is simply not very good at all.

In The Opening Act, however, Will Chu (Jimmy O. Yang) does not think that he is God’s greatest gift to audiences, and that vulnerability is what makes him relatable. Will grew up watching stand-up comedy with his father, and they covered all the hits from Eddie Murphy to Jimmy G. (played by Cedric the Entertainer). Will’s father unfortunately passes away, and Will is left to figure out whether or not his passion is worth turning into a full-time career. A weekend-long gig (working alongside with many of his idols, such as Jimmy G. himself) may just give the wanna-be stand-up comic his sea legs – or, just maybe, teach Will that he should stick with his day job as a cubicle-dweller.

Cinema is also filled with underdogs, like Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky. Will is not a complete underdog, however, which makes the film more interesting as a result. He has a great relationship with a loving girlfriend named Jen (Debby Ryan), so he’s not exactly hitting rock bottom here. Most films about artists/athletes pursuing their passions involve the deterioration of a relationship, or the choice between making it big or living a mundane life seeming like a no-brainer. Thankfully, The Opening Act never lets us worry about the state of Will and Jen’s relationship (for long, anyway). Will has the support of his girlfriend, and that’s that.

This is the interesting part about the movie. If Will fails as a stand-up comedian, he still has other things going for him, and can afford to drive home to his loving girlfriend. This tells me that he has a good head on his shoulders and is not a ‘all or nothing’ kind of guy. This is indicated by his avoidance of many of the afterhours activities that his fellow comics like to engage in, which involve drinks, drugs, and groupies.

Perhaps, it is the fact that I can sense and engage with Will’s humanity (as a result of Yang’s brilliant portrayal) that I care about him. Will’s character avoids the cliches of the arrogant expert and humble underdog and gives us a human being. He is like us: some days he has his ducks lined in a row, and other days, he tries on new material that really doesn’t do him any favours.

Avoiding the ‘Robert Pupkin Way’ – which is a ticket to nowhere fast – The Opening Act gives viewers a more nuanced view of what it takes to make it in stand-up comedy. The film also gives a more nuanced view of what it takes to be a full-fledged human being.

The Opening Act was released October 16, 2020
Watch it here.