The Upside of Anger
Terry Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen), a sharp-witted suburban wife and mother, is left to raise her four headstrong daughters when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Things get even more hectic when Terry falls for her neighbor Denny (Kevin Costner), a once-great baseball star turned radio DJ, and her daughters are forced to juggle their mom's romantic dilemmas as well as their own.
Member Reviews
I would watch it again - debbiecud
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. It will make u laugh cry and feel the frustrations of life. I loved Kevin Costner in this role? Once u watch this movie you will want to watch it again? The ending totally shocked me I would never have imaginedThe Upside Downside Of Lives Gone Awry - CharleyJames
Mike Binder's lightweight handling of midlife crisis and emotional betrayal opens with Terry (Joan Allen) already bitter and glassy-eyed with alcohol and anger. Gathering her four daughters at the dinner table, she tartly announces their father ran away with his Swedish secretary, leaving behind everything but his wallet and a goodbye note.
It's the beginning of a three-year bender and her fuel of choice is an ever-present tumbler of vodka and simmering fury. She wallows in resentment at her husband's abandonment and only her withering, sharp-tongued wit makes that scorn interesting.
And attractive, too, at least to bachelor neighbor Denny (Kevin Costner), a former ballplayer-turned-radio host, coasting through retirement on autographed baseballs and personal appearances while buzzing on beer and dope. He volunteers to be her drinking buddy, invites himself over to family dinners and slowly warms her to the idea of romance.
Writer/director Mike Binder, who also plays Denny's entertainingly sleazy producer, writes sarcastic humor and dialogue that just avoids being glib, thanks in part to a pair of rich performances. Costner carries regret and disillusionment under cocky charm and breezy irresponsibility in his best performance in years. The one-time sports hero is a little older, a little less sure of himself, but finally ready to move ahead.
Allen's icy stares could turn you to stone and her cutting sarcasm would finish off what's left, but she gives Terry a self-awareness that undercuts her most careless comments and suggests the raw wounds under her brittle armor.
The film never earns the irony of the title or offers anything profound in its observations of fractured family dynamics in an atmosphere of lingering resentment, but Allen and Costner enrich and elevate the film and give the growth of their characters a hard-earned gravitas.
3 1/2 stars but I gave it four owing to Allen and Costner's work.Excellent Emotional Film - daiseeladie
I just finished watching this film and feel as though all my emotions have been startled.
Anger is not the only human element touched upon here. Love, Jealousy, Righteousness, Mourning, Frustration, Longing are only some of the themes that four daughters and their mother bring forth.
Kevin Costner was fabulous. He does return to the affable baseball player that movie viewers have grown accumstomed to however his character here is much more than an expired athelete. He's a man who is yearning for something more, something we all want in our hearts and hearts: a feeling of inclusion and home.
I highly recommend this movie.
Member Reviews
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I would watch it again - debbiecud
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. It will make u laugh cry and feel the frustrations of life. I loved Kevin Costner in this role? Once u watch this movie you will want to watch it again? The ending totally shocked me I would ...The Upside Downside Of Lives Gone Awry - CharleyJames
Mike Binder's lightweight handling of midlife crisis and emotional betrayal opens with Terry (Joan Allen) already bitter and glassy-eyed with alcohol and anger. Gathering her four daughters at the dinner table, she tartly announces their father ran away with ...Excellent Emotional Film - daiseeladie
I just finished watching this film and feel as though all my emotions have been startled.
Anger is not the only human element touched upon here. Love, Jealousy, Righteousness, Mourning, Frustration, Longing are only some of the themes that four daughters ...