Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Standing Still might just as well be called "The Night Before The Wedding" since that's exactly what this movie is about. 

A bunch of twenty-somethings gather together when two of their friends are a day away from taking the plunge.  Not surprisingly, there's a whole smorgasbord worth of angst.  There's an ex-lover, still carrying the torch.  There's the best man, feeling pressured by his own girlfriend to pop the question.  There's the groom-to-be's friend who falls for a younger lady. And there's the totally messed up girl and the somewhat messed up guy who isn't over her yet.  Finally, there's the absent father who decides to make an appearance for the first time in years.

All of these characters gather together, supposedly for a night of joy and merriment, celebrating their friends' marriage.  But in fact, they're all way too busy dealing with their own ‘stuff'.  I'm not sure the bride and groom really figure into any of their plans.  They're much too caught up in resolving past dramas.  In fact, I'm willing to bet that if the bride and groom would have scurried off and eloped, that none of their buddies would have even noticed. 

So who are all these people drowning in drama?  Well the bride and groom are Amy Adams and Adam Garcia.  I thought they did reasonably well with their parts, even if Adams comes off just a bit too "sweet".  The ex-lover carrying the torch is Lauren German.  I liked her in this role, and felt her pain.  Nothing like watching "the one who got away" prepare to walk the aisle with someone else.  However, I question the wisdom in inviting this person for the night-before-festivities.  After all, every one of the guests is spending the night in the intendeds' house.  This privilege should have been reserved for close family, and friends.  I'm not sure "ex-lover" should have been on the invite list.  Seems to me she could have been invited to the wedding, but didn't really have to be invited for the sleep-over portion of the weekend.  Of course, then we wouldn't have had all that drama and angst.  But I know that if it were my wedding, the ex would not be spending the night.

The ‘messed up girl' is Mena Suvari, and her ex is Jon Abrahams.  This part of the story was done really well, I thought.  I felt Abrahams' pain at having so many questions regarding their past, and the relief at finally being given an opportunity to find answers.  Even if those answers don't really explain much - they at least provide closure.

The friend and the younger lady were Colin Hanks and Marnette Patterson.  This part of the story was silly.  That is to say, while coupling off with a much younger woman is a problem, and one that could lead to serious consequences, the way it was presented in this story bordered on ridiculous.  Hanks looks much younger than the part he's playing, and the young lady looked much older.  Thus the anxiety over the situation came off as overblown, rather than realistic. 

Aaron Sandord and Melissa Sagemiller are the best man, and the growing-impatient-waiting-for-a-proposal girlfriend.  I liked this part of the story; it brought back so many memories of that time in my own life.  Time when half the girls in the clique were the "haves" (as in have fiancés/husbands/children) and the other half were left out.  I remember a whole lot of anxiety during that time, as girls watched the calendar pages flip, and boys hemmed and hawed, trying to figure out what they really wanted.  In the movie, Samantha and Rich portray this situation beautifully, I thought. 

Finally, there's the long-absent father who decides to show up.  Played by Xander Berkeley, this role added a major source of drama, and could have been really interesting.  Except I felt that it was rushed.  I would have preferred a bit more time spent on this portion of the story, so that we could have felt a bit more connected.  As it was, it seemed like an "add-on" more than anything.  Too bad... it had real potential.

I enjoyed this movie.  I thought the ensemble cast did a nice job, and most the storylines worked well.  Sure, there are some crude jokes, some language, some nudity, all the stuff you would expect in a movie of this ilk.  And, yes, there were a few too many subplots (more than the few I described).  But there's also a little bit of comedy mixed in with the drama, and some nice performances.  Overall, the movie worked, and provides a pleasant 90 minutes.

Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age