The laughs in this film came from the honest pursuit of reality and the consistent avoidance of melodrama. Writer/Director Mike Binder saves one of his only plot tricks for the end, but his attention to character throughout makes it an acceptable trick.

Joan Allen as suburban housewife Terry shows a willingness in "Anger" to be unattractively attractive. Yes, she's in great shape for her age. Yes, it's believable that she'd be married to a successful man and that other men would desire her. Yes, she makes a convincing mother and a convincing, although non-destructive, alcoholic. But mostly, she's human. And honest. By the end, you realize that despite her angry or judgemental or controlling outbursts, she's done a very good job of raising four healthy, capable, undamaged daughters.

The film begins with Terry sitting at the breakfast table (the meal table is a well-used motif) with Hadley (Alicia Witt), Emily (Keri Russell), Andy (Erika Christensen), and Popeye (Evan Rachel Wood). Terry tells her daughters that their father has run off to Sweden with his secretary. She then dives into a long depression filled with drinking, smoking, and staying in her pajamas all day. Into this malaise comes slobbish neighbor Denny Davies (Kevin Costner) a former pro baseball player turned radio talk show host. Denny falls for Terry and the romance proceeds a lot like the Shirley MacLaine-Jack Nicholson relationship in "Terms of Endearment."

Burt Reynolds took great strides in his career a while back when he became willing to play unglamorous, goofy parts. Could Kevin Costner be doing the same? I hope so, as this was easily the most entertaining – and macho-free – performance I've ever seen from him. A shot toward the end of the film in which he tries to wedge between the women as they sit at a picnic table only to knock one daughter off the end of the bench wonderfully captures his character and the story.

Leading up to that moment, we watch a series of mother/daughter conflicts, each a little deeper and more convincing than the last. Binder allows the family dynamic to unfold naturally, catching us up as needed with dinner scenes at which the exact attendees vary, but the tension and ultimately the honesty never wavers. The director also plays Shep, Denny's boss at the radio station who hires, then beds the curvaceous Andy. It's a Woody Allen device to cast yourself as a middle-aged schmuck who happens to nab the best looking babe, but in this case it's worth it because Andy knows what to do with it and when to break it off – AND because of Terry's priceless slap down of Shep during a wedding reception.

For the most part, despite playing strong, confident characters, the young actresses don't get to steal any scenes because Allen and Costner are so good and their story is the most compelling. The exception may be Wood, playing the youngest and most insightful daughter. Her friendship with a shy, bungee-jumping boy from school (Dane Christensen – Erika's younger brother) takes unexpected turns, yet thankfully avoids melodrama.

Art: 3 Stars
Entertainment: 3 Stars

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