Everybody's Fine

[rjhempel]

I found it a good movie a little sad, also quite realistic in some senses with how the kids were with the father, shutting him out.

I would say 7/10

[valda]

My first film of the night, ths was as the O2. I was pretty distracted becuase I'd just found I'd left the lid of my cough mixture (mm lovely in the bottom the bag) I had a coughing fit sorry everyone, then had to go out cos my nose was so stuffed up I couldn't breath.

Film was so so, I thought it was quite predictable and a waste of a good cast. I was pleased that the lovely Sam Rockwell was in it but that's about it. 6/10

[hdaniel82]

I saw this at the O2 last night too. Didn't notice the coughing fit valda! But I agree that it was quite predictable, they could have made a lot more of the actors. I also found it annoying the lip smacking noises that De Niro kept making. Did anyone else notice that or am I being pernickity?!

[SimonV]

I always thought I as a tough guy, but even I was struggling not to let a tear creep out.
Remind me not to go and see a sad film again

[jpeg]

Saw this at the o2 which got fairly full (about 90%)

Got there at 6pm and the lady told us we could not go in until 6:20 even though the film was to start at 6:30 leaving 10 mins for everyone to get settled in. She told us to go away and do something else. Fortunately another staff member was there and he kindly directed us to a seating area. He also came back about 5 mins later and told us it will be fine go in, which made sense to me!

I really enjoyed this movie....been to a fair few depressing dark films lately so this was quite a relief despite the fact it is not an entirely happy movie. When I saw the trailer for this I thought it was a pretty straight forward story line but despite being predictable... it had a bit of a twist. I like the little things that were included like how he had to stand on something to get the security light to turn on in his front garden, enabling him to see what he was doing.

Was also happy to see Sam Rockwell in it too! Loved him in Moon

7/10

[Cortone]

I was at Leeds - which was in a smallish screen, and fairly full. Steve was there, but none of the other Yorkshire crowd.

I really liked this film. but then I love Brothers and Sisters on C4, I have several siblings, we all have things we do not tell each other and I have lost a parent, so this rang true. And I am always juggling things to get to family events, and often do not make this, it is not easy when you have to work (and sometimes in another part of the world).

I worried that de Niro would be a bit wooden in a sentimental role, (Meet the Parents/Fokkers, etc. are not real cahracter acting, IMHO, and as for What just happened.... that is best forgotten) but I thought all the cast members did well. Yes, it was not the most dynamic film, but it was true to life. As adults, we tell parents the good news, not the bad. And I guessed most of the problems before the 'denouement'.

I liked the trip across the US too. And the reality of the consequences of what sometimes happens when you are good, when others are not.... And of parental roles in their children's lives.

I laughed on many occasions, even if others didn't, but heck, I'd heard/seen/thought these situations before. I tried not to cry, but... At least 8/10 for me.

[tarantinoed]

Thought this was sad - but realistic.

[markrobertpetty]

Saw Everybody's Fine at the vue at the o2 Greenwich this week. I thought that Robert De Niro's performance was very understated and some of his scenes were very poignant. Compared to Morgan Freeman playing Morgan Freeman in Invictus this performance was refreshing and much more deserving of an Oscar nomination.

I notice that some people seem to think it was too schmaltzy but I disagree. This was a movie about the things that happen to real people everyday, having to deal with grief and loss. I thought that all of the performances were very touching, Drew Barrymore was as luminous as ever and Sam Rockwell was completely believable.

The decision to have his children appear to him as if they were still small was very clever, enforcing that fact that he never really allowed them to ever grow up in his eyes, which is always the most difficult thing for any parent to do.

This was a very good film, that won't do great business because it's not the kind of film that movie companies want to fully market anymore. Come on guys, older people go to the movies too you know.

Give these kinds of film more publicity and show them in more screens and more people will go and see them.

[Beate]

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/every ... 31779.html

The ViewLondon Review

Review by Matthew Turner
24/02/2010
Opens Friday 26 February 2010

Three out of Five stars
Running time: 100 mins

Watchable, well made family drama with a strong performance from Robert De Niro, though it's let down by an overly simplistic script and its failure to connect on an emotional level.

What's it all about?
Written and directed by Kirk Jones, Everybody's Fine is a remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's 1990 family drama. Robert De Niro stars as widower Frank Goode, who decides to take a road trip to visit his grown-up children when they each call and cancel for a planned family get-together.

Against the advice of his doctor, Frank travels to New York to see artist David (Austin Lysy), but finds he isn't home, so he continues on to Chicago to see advertising executive Amy (Kate Beckinsale), Denver to see musician Robert (Sam Rockwell) and Las Vegas to see dancer Rosie (Drew Barrymore). However, it becomes increasingly clear that none of his children are being entirely honest with him.

The Good
De Niro is excellent, delivering his best performance in quite some time (Stardust's Captain Shakespeare aside) as a man gradually discovering that his only connection to his children was through his wife; in particular, De Niro subtly shades the character so that you can see the stubborn streak and strictness that might have lead his children to lie to him. There's also strong support from Rockwell, Beckinsale and Barrymore, even if their characters aren't as well fleshed out.

In addition, there are some nice moments of humour scattered throughout the film, particularly in Frank's relationship with his grandson (Lucian Maisel), who points out that the suitcase he's been lugging around for days has an extending handle, or his all-too-brief scene with Melissa Leo as a kindly truck-driver who gives him a lift.

The Bad
The main problem is that the script is overly simplistic, spelling everything out for the audience ahead of time, which leaves Frank playing catch-up for the entire film. Similarly, the script layers on the sentimentality with the result that several of the supposedly emotional revelations never quite ring true – it's extremely difficult to believe, for example, that Barrymore's character would keep her particular secret so long, especially given that Rosie is apparently the closest to her father.

Worth seeing?
This is a beautifully shot drama that's worth seeing for the performances, but it never quite delivers the required emotional punch.

[ciro22]

Looking at both the UK and US box office it appears that this film has pretty much sunk without a trace...

I feel sorry for old Bobby D though, cause all his bad film choices of the past decade are almost threatening to ruin the great successes and performances of his earlier years