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DeNiro's Performance Saves Eveybody’s Fine |
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Written by TAMI OWENS
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Saturday, 20 February 2010 |
They always say as an actor that great role is hard to find. How about multiple times? Robert DeNiro without question has proven time and time again what an amazing actor he is on the screen. His work alone with director Marin Scorsese on such masterpieces like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Good Fellas, DeNiro has given the world some of the greatest performances in cinema in the last few decades. However, it seems in recent years Robert DeNiro has gotten a little sidetrack in his path on greatness. These days he seems to perform more in more in comedies instead of the dramas he is more known for. Eveybody’s Fine came out during the holiday season with mix reviews. With a great supporting cast the film might get a second chance on DVD.
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Everybody’s Fine
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Special Features
Directed by Kirk Jones
Written by Kirk Jones
Starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Katherine Moennig
Rated PG-13
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When all his children bow out on a planned family gathering, Frank Goode (Robert DeNiro) decides to surprise them and go to them. Against his doctor’s orders, Frank jumps on a train for New York to surprise his son David. Frank waits for hours at David’s doorstep and even knocks on his door but does not find him home. However, he does see a painting of David’s in a gallery nearby and slips an envelope under David’s door before jumping back on the train. His next stop is with his daughter Amy (Kate Beckinsale) who claimed her son’s illness for not being able to come out for the gathering. However, when he arrives it appears Amy might not have been truthful about her son and many other things.
As Frank continues on to surprise his son Robert (Sam Rockwell) in Denver and then in Las Vegas for his daughter Rosie (Drew Barrymore), it is pretty obvious they are not confiding in him like they did with their late mother. In particularly, what is truly going on with David? To add even more drama to his travels, his medication is almost completely destroyed when he is mugged on the way to Vegas. Can Frank finally bring his family together all in one room or will his health fail him.
Everybody’s Fine isn’t a great film and often falls into the made for TV family drama genre. Yet, an understated performance by Robert DeNiro and a solid cast saves the film from completely going down that path.
Extras
Even though this is technically a remake, it has been said it was a very personal film by director and writer Kirk Jones. So it’s surprising that Jones didn’t participate more in the DVD release. There is no making of feature here and no commentary track. There is an odd feature on The Making of Paul McCartney’s “(I Want To) Come Home song. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe and it is Paul McCartney but when you see it is the ONLY making of feature it does seem a bit out of place.
The only other bonus material is several deleted and extended scenes. One to note is with DeNiro and an elderly man having a conversation in a coffee shop. It’s a nice little back and forth dialog between the two of them but it’s the ending, where the elderly gentleman goes out of character, that truly gives it the warmth and makes it worth checking out.
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Hud
Written by Guest on 2010-02-21 16:58:58
nothing could ever be odd about Paul McCartney ,he is the greates ever. | McCartney
Written by publisher on 2010-02-22 02:56:33
I agree, he's a legend but you misunderstood me - the placing of this making of feature without having a making of feature of the movie makes this "odd". I'm a huge McCartney fan - how can you not? I saw him when he popped up at Billy Joel's Shea Stadium performance and even saw him at the Grammy rehearsals a few years back - I'm a fan. But that's not what this is about, it's about a film and it's bonus material. To include a making of a song that only appears at the final minutes of the credits and not have more on the film is weird. This is a film that is supposedly a labor of love with very little bonus material - doesn't work for me. |
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