Opening 18 Mar 2010
Directed by:
Kirk Jones
Writing credits:
Kirk Jones, Massimo De Rita, Tonino Guerra, Giuseppe Tornatore
Principal actors:
Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Lucian Maisel
In Everybody's Fine, everybody is actually not at all fine. The film opens with
Perry Como singing Catch a Falling Star while Frank Goode (Robert de Niro)
primps his house and garden. And then one by one his four adult children call
to cancel their weekend visit to which widower Frank had been so looking
forward. Frank decides to turn things around and go visit them. Because of
his heart condition, Frank's doctor forbids plane travel, so Frank goes off
across the country by train and bus. His first stop is NYC, but artist
David is not home. He continues to Chicago to Amy (Kate Beckinsale). Her life is
too hectic for a visitor so, after just one night, he goes to Colorado to Robert (Sam Rockwell). It is quite a
surprise that Robert is not a conductor, as he thought, but "just" a
percussionist in the orchestra. And Robert also seems to have no time for
dad. Next stop is Rosie's (Drew Barrymore) in Las Vegas. She is more welcoming than the others had been, but
Frank hurries home because his medications are finished. A heart attack on
the forbidden plane finally brings his kids home and provides the opportunity
for a real family discussion, which makes Frank see his children as they are
instead of what he wanted them to be.
Robert de Niro is naturally as good as always (with all those interesting facial expressions),
but the film is sometimes much too melancholic. And funny enough, the
cross country trip was actually filmed entirely in Connecticut. (Thelma Freedman)
