EVERYBODY’S FINE Movie Review
If you go see Everybody’s Fine thinking that it’s going to be the typical fun Christmas movie, then you will be disappointed because Everybody’s Fine is really more of a family drama than a Christmas movie.
Everybody’s Fine follows a widower, Frank, who decides to take a road trip to visit his four children after they all cancel their plans to visit him. During his trip Frank will discover that he doesn’t know as much about them as he initially thought.
The biggest issue I had with the story is that I found it really hard to like Frank and empathize with him. Don’t get me wrong, he is not a bad person but as you see him interact with his children you begin to understand why they do not want to spend time with him. And since the story focuses on Frank, it was not as enjoyable as it could have been.
There is also a subplot that unfolds through phone calls that all the children make to each other, which we hear mostly as voice over when Frank travels from one child to the next. This sort of gets resolved at the end of the movie and brings the family together, but I’ll let you see the movie to find out what it’s all about.
Overall, I thought the story was ok. I think I was expecting something a little different, something more cheery and Christmasy, and felt disappointed by what Everybody’s Fine really was about. Although I think that some people might be able to relate to the family dynamic and might actually enjoy the movie more.
As far as the acting goes I thought that Robert De Niro gave a good performance, which obviously is not surprising. He was very believable as a father who has lost touch with his children.
As for the rest of the cast, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, I think they created three very different and believable siblings.
Overall, I think that if you enjoy family dramas you might like Everybody’s Fine. However if you feel like some cheerful Christmas movie, Everybody’s Fine is not it.
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Title: Everybody’s Fine
Director: Kirk Jones
Cast: Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, Katherine Moennig, James Frain, Melissa Leo
Synopsis: A widower embarks on an impromptu road trip to reconnect with each of his grown children only to discover that their lives are far from picture perfect.
Release Date: December 4, 2009
Watch the trailer here
