Reviewed by Tom Roberts
Stars Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale,
Sam Rockwell, Lucian Maisel, Damian Young, James Frain, James Murtaugh, Austin Lysy
Written by Kirk Jones & Massimo De Rita
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 99 minutes
Directed by Kirk Jones
Releasing Everybody’s Fine over the Christmas period in the US was one of the worst decisions that distributor Miramax could have made. Financially it made no sense: Avatar was just around the corner, released a week later in fact, stealing every other film’s thunder. And, what was marketed as a happy, festive treat complete with Christmas tree and baubles on its poster, in reality is a depressing, ponderous story of the deteriorating relationships children hold with their parents, as both parties grow older and older. Just the film to take the family to see at Christmas then… That’s not to say it’s a bad film; quite the opposite.
De Niro is Frank Goode, a widower with four adult children scattered hundreds and hundreds of miles away in various corners of the States. When each of them cancels attending a reunion Frank has organized at his house, he hatches a plan to go to them instead, surprising each of them one-by-one. Frank is a proud man and a retired labourer. As far as Frank is aware, his kids are all wildly successful in their respective careers, their drive instilled in them by their hard-grafting father. But with every surprise visit, Frank has a few shocks of his own.
It’s particularly fitting that De Niro should play Frank. It’s been many years since he turned in a truly memorable performance and consequently he’s almost become a relic of the past himself. De Niro is excellent here, conveying his disapproval and increasing disappointments with slight furrows of his brow or a slightly gaping mouth. The rest of the star cast – Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell – are functional enough, but fail to imbue much personality in their characters. Perhaps that’s the point: their father has driven them so hard through childhood that their personalities’ hightail it out of there as soon as Frank’s on the scene.
It’s all a bit Broken Flowers really: a road movie with languid direction and past lovers replaced by porky-telling children. Everybody’s Fine burns slowly approaching its conclusion, an inevitable one to everyone but Frank. There’s sure to be something here that resonates with your own personal family experiences, and as such it can make for uncomfortable, thought-provoking viewing. The ending is a bit too ‘Hollywood’ and feels at odds with what came before, but without it you’d probably leave the cinema looking for the nearest shoulder to cry on. One to watch, but leave the kids at home unless you’re looking for ways to save money on family therapy sessions.
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SECOND OPINION | Doug Cooper * Sorry to sound off as Mr Grumpy again but this weak effort left me cold. Mr De Niro gives a lovely performance to be sure - modest, sincere and touching - but I could've done without the syrupy music score to heighten the emotions. And the secret lives of his adult children that he is shielded from - one separated from spouse, another gay etc - come across as mere cliches. The final scene, a benign wrap-up featuring his offspring and assorted partners, made me want to puke so plastic was it in its sentimentality. A forgettable trifle overall, manipulative and mawkish. Bah! Humbug!