“The Upside of Anger” (New Line Features)
Joan Allen has to be one of the most talented people acting in movies today. Whenever she undertakes a role she owns it from beginning to end. That is certainly the case in her latest film “The Upside of Anger” in which she plays Terry Wolfmeyer, a woman deserted by her husband and left with four daughters to raise. It is a movie that has both dramatic and comedic elements to it and Allen is at ease and in control in both areas.
The movie starts with a funeral and then flashes back three years to the time when Terry first found out her husband had deserted her and gone to Sweden with his secretary. She is drinking pretty heavily and is just sleep walking through the days of her life. Her neighbor, Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), comes over to keep her company because he likes the way her house always smells of cooking.
Terry’s four daughters are Hadley (Alicia Witt), the college student; Emily (Keri Russell), the dancer and artistic one; Andy (Erika Christensen), the more practical one; and Popeye (Evan Rachel Wood), the baby of the family. They are having a hard time adjusting to their father’s leaving and also not resenting their mother in some way because of his absence.
The movie moves slowly at first as you are getting used to all the characters and their personalities. Eventually it does find its own pace and gives life to all those in the film. There are even some twists and turns that keep the audience off balance and surprised in some ways.
As stated Allen is perfectly cast in the role of Terry. She has the appropriate vulnerability as well as raw beauty the role requires. Costner is at his best as the loveable, affable Denny. He is so good-natured about everything that happens to him that you can’t help but like him. This is not Costner’s most dynamic role but it is certainly one that shows he is a talented actor and not just a film personality.
The movie is rated R for profanity and sexual situations.
At its center “The Upside of Anger” is a family dynamic. The interaction of the mother with the daughters as well as the attentive neighbor is the heart and soul of the film. It is a picture of their lives and where they are on their journeys. For some that may not be enough to be entertaining but for others it will suffice.
I scored “The Upside of Anger” an irate 6 out of 10.
