アップサイド・オブ・アンガー: The Upside of Anger @ シネマコンプレックス[シネコン]: CineMa Complex

/ 2005-12-07 In many ways this is a predictable movie and is somewhat cliche'-ridden, but there are enough redeeming qualities throughout that make this film worthwhile.

Joan Allen is a great actress and never disappoints, especially in this film. Kevin Costner is kind of surprising, not necessarily in the character he portrays, an ex-pro baseball player, which isn't exactly a stretch for him since he's done a few similar roles before, but what's really different about it is how he approaches this retired, burned out, introspective middle-aged man.

I enjoyed the film because it's a very humanistic story, and I felt that Costner was drawing from personal experience in his portrayal which is probably why it was so believable. Joan Allen on the other hand is also very real, flesh and blood, desperate woman going through a flood of emotions after she believes her husband ran off with his Swedish secretary to Sweden, and she's left to pick up the pieces along with their four daughters. Her family is affluent of upper pedigree, well-mannered and sophisticated but of course that kind of becomes a facade that crashes down all around her as her young daughters rebel in their own ways, perhaps blaming their mom on a subconscious level for their dad leaving them.

The daughters could have been further developed and were left slightly two-dimensional, but that was because the story focused mostly on the relationship between the angry, grieving mom and her rushed love affair with the radio DJ, ex-baseball pro. Joan Allen's character finds solace in him because for one he's there as a trusting, friendly and witty neighbor who gradually wins over the hearts of her daughters, but also because he's just a good guy, he's the calm in her storm and helps bring some rationale to her chaotic existence. The radio DJ takes on the role of a surrogate father but also as the "cool adult", which helps win over the heart of the mom.

Despite the focus on the relationship between Costner and Allen, the audience gets to know the youngest daughter fairly well, as well as the second oldest. The youngest sibling is a bit of a paradox, she's constantly dismissed as an ignorant and inexperienced child but ends up displaying incredible maturity and wisdom by the end of the film. The 2nd oldest is misunderstood and doesn't get the respect she deserves from her mom because she studied interpretive dancing, an art form her mom doesn't understand, therefore doesn't respect. There's an important lesson to be learned there by not only the mother, but also people who watch the film, which is that there is more to life to be appreciated than what is within the limited scope of an individual's experiences, and even though this film might not delve too deeply into this concept, it deals with it in a respectful and moving manner that makes one think twice about things we might be unfamiliar with or not fully understand, and might end up appreciating once exposed to the beauty one facet of the human experience.

Most of the cliche'd moments occur at the dinner table and involve stereotypical moments between the mom and daughters, and the in-jokes that they laugh at, which is kind of a standard for films like this, but it doesn't really hurt the film too much. I suppose it would have been more effective had the audience gotten to know all 4 girls as well as the mom.

There are several sub-plots that happen simultaneously, but they aren't quite as important and serve more as a distraction than an exploration of this family's troubles of coping with a broken home. Several moments of genuine joy and sadness make this movie a soulful, moving experience and has one of the best endings I've seen in a movie.

I fully recommend this film to anyone, and even though this type of film is considered to be a chick flick by most, don't let that scare you away, because it's worth watching and just might give people a better view of one's own family or even others and how perfect a family may seem, everybody has their problems, so it definitely promotes tolerance and understanding, and that's never a bad thing. There are a few surprises in the film that are quite clever. Overall a solid film and a refreshing change of pace from most Hollywood fare.