Robert De Niro stars in this bittersweet drama based on the 1990 Italian film 'Stanno Tutti Bene' by Giuseppe Tornatore. Recently retired, Frank Goode (De Niro) realises that he has grown distant from his four grown-up children over the years, especially since the death of his wife, and decides that it is high time he reconnected with them. Despite a doctor's warning about the risks of over-exerting himself, Frank sets out on a journey across America with the intention of paying a surprise visit to each of his children and partaking in their success and happiness. Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell co-star.
| Starring: |
Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Lucian Maisel, Damian Young, James Frain, Melissa Leo, Katherine Moennig, Brendan Sexton III, James Murtaugh, Austin Lysy |
| Director: |
Kirk Jones |
| Run time: |
99 minutes |
| Languages: |
English |
| Distributor: |
|
MyMovies
With enough stars to make a passable sci-fi backdrop, Everybody's Fine certainly looks the part. With big hitters such as ...
With enough stars to make a passable sci-fi backdrop, Everybody's Fine certainly looks the part. With big hitters such as the iconic Robert DeNiro and Sam Rockwell, as well as the cutesy Drew Barrymore and the sizzling Kate Beckinsale - what more could you want? Well a less depressing story for one thing.Billed as a dramedy, this is anything but funny. Robert DeNiro plays Frank Goode, a recent widower who has never really connected that well with his kids. After all, that was his wife's job. But this time, he intends to change all that by arranging a nice family meal at his home. So when each of his kids rings to cancel, Frank decides to surprise them by visiting each of them at their homes unannounced - firmly against his doctor's advice. As Frank embarks on this journey to see his two sons David (Austin Lysy) and Robert (Sam Rockwell), and two daughters Amy (Kate Beckinsale) and Rosie (Drew Barrymore), inevitably this becomes an odyssey of self-discovery and realisation. For it turns out that his family, including his dearly departed wife, have been telling him porkies all their life. Robert is not a renowned composer, Amy is not blissfully happy, Rosie didn't quite make it in Vegas, and David is not a celebrated artist and has serious problems instead. Unable to connect with their dad, and keen to sort out their own issues, poor old Bobby D gets shipped from pillar to post and soon finds himself on a flight back home before you can say "You Talkin' To Me?".Fortunately for Frank a personal trauma sorts everyone out, and despite all their problems and the fact that the father-children relationship has thus far been a total lie largely thanks to his domineering personality and high expectations, everything now seems tickety boo. So that's a relief then.A fine and somewhat different performance from DeNiro as a shambling old man sadly cannot save this adaptation of 'Stanno Tutti Bene' from acclaimed Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore (of Cinema Paradiso fame). All too brief cameos from Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore are ultimately pointless, and the film is shamelessly obvious and sentimental, as well as being painfully depressing.
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Press Association
If Hollywood has taught us anything over the decades, it's that resentment, regret and anguish simmer beneath the surface of ...
If Hollywood has taught us anything over the decades, it's that resentment, regret and anguish simmer beneath the surface of almost every seemingly perfect family. The smiles and warm handshakes invariably conceal sibling rivalry and torment that has festered for years. When someone says, "I love you," you'll probably find their fingers are crossed behind their back. And, yes, the title of Kirk Jones's gently paced journey of self-discovery is ironic. Anchored by a warm and engaging lead performance from Robert De Niro as a lonely widower who hopes to reconnect his fractured family, Everybody's Fine hits every emotional note we expect as it proves that the people we lie to the most are the ones we hold most dear. Frank Goode (Robert De Niro) has spent his life manufacturing the coating on millions of miles of telephone wires, which now separate him from his four children. Alone in a house he once shared with his wife, Frank merrily organises a get together, only for all four offspring to cancel at the last minute. Unperturbed, Frank decides to pay surprises visits to his two sons and two daughters, despite a harsh warning from his doctor: "Fibrosis of the lungs requires you to take things easy. You know that." First, he heads to New York to visit talented artist David (Austin Lysy) but the young man isn't home. Next, it's a short journey to Chicago to advertising agency executive Amy (Kate Beckinsale), her husband Jeff (Damian Young) and son Jack (Lucian Maisel), who can't wait to get rid of the old man. Denver is the next stop on Frank's odyssey to surprise classical musician Robert (Sam Rockwell), who is content with his role in the percussion section. "Are you happy?" asks Frank. "I get paid to bang a big, loud drum all day. Of course I'm happy," smiles Robert. Then it's off to Las Vegas for a rendezvous with dancer Rosie (Drew Barrymore), who is the first of the brood to seem genuinely glad to see Frank. Like her siblings, the talented danc, er is keeping secrets from her father, not least the actual whereabouts of David. Everybody's Fine is an unusual choice for De Niro, who slouches into his role as a man dependent on medication that we are sure will run out well before the final leg of his trek. His warmth and quiet charm are in stark contrast to the spikiness of Beckinsale and Rockwell, while Barrymore smiles her way through a similarly undernourished supporting role. As expected, there are tears and reconciliation to heal old wounds in the nick of time. Frank's snapshots from his travels appear over the end credits along with Polaroids of the children, leaving us with a warm if cheap, sentimental glow.
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