Please Stand By

"Boldly go."

2018 1h 33m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 534

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young autistic woman runs away from her caregiver in order to boldly go and deliver her 500-page Star Trek script to a writing competition in Hollywood. On an adventure full of laughter and tears, Wendy follows the guiding spirit of Mr. Spock on her journey into the unknown.

“Boldly go.”

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Cast

Dakota Fanning
Wendy Welcott
Alice Eve
Audrey
Toni Collette
Scottie
River Alexander
Sam
Shawn Roe
Derrick
Tony Revolori
Nemo
Lexi Aaron
Herself
Michael Stahl-David
Jack

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ben Lewin
Writers: Michael Golamco
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ben Lewin, shot by Geoffrey Simpson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Heitor Pereira. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lisa Bromwell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Dakota Fanning and Alice Eve and Toni Collette carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Boldly go.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4652650 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ben Lewin directs. Geoffrey Simpson behind the camera. Heitor Pereira scores. Lisa Bromwell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 8 years ago.
2Directed by Ben Lewin, shot by Geoffrey Simpson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Heitor Pereira. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Lisa Bromwell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Dakota Fanning and Alice Eve and Toni Collette carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Boldly go.".
7IMDB entry: tt4652650 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 16 themes, including "san francisco, california", "runaway", "autism", "manuscript".

The technical file

Cinematography: Geoffrey Simpson
Original score: Heitor Pereira
Editing: Lisa Bromwell
Production design: John Collins
Makeup / hair: Maxine Morris
VFX supervisor: James David Hattin
Stunt coordinator: Nash Edgerton
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Please Stand By (2018)

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Ben Lewin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

RalphRahal2025-02-18
★ 5/10
Please Stand By (2017) is a heartwarming yet flawed movie that follows Wendy, a young autistic woman with a passion for Star Trek. The plot is engaging and makes you root for her, but some scenes feel forced or out of place. The directing leans too much into making other characters seem unreasonably harsh, which might have been intentional to reflect Wendy’s perspective, but it ends up feeling unrealistic. The cinematography is solid but nothing outstanding, mostly keeping things simple and functional. The attention to detail in Wendy’s routines and the world around her is noticeable, but the way her journey unfolds sometimes lacks natural flow. Dakota Fanning delivers a committed performance, but it feels stiff, likely due to how the character was directed rather than her acting ability. Wendy comes across as overly robotic at times, missing the emotional depth that could have elevated the movie. The supporting cast does a decent job, though most characters feel underdeveloped. The script has good moments but could have done more to make interactions feel organic. The score is a highlight, adding warmth and emotion where the film itself sometimes falls short. Overall, Please Stand By is a decent watch with a strong central performance, but the execution keeps it from reaching its full potential.

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