Everybody’s Fine (Kirk Jones, 2009): USA/Italy

Reviewed by Emily Day,  Viewed at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood.

Kirk Jones, writer and director of Everybody’s Fine, worked laughable comedy into a sweet moving story of a father reaching out to the kids he knows very little about. In this film you fallow a father’s journey across the country to visit his children. The star studded cast includes; Robert De Niro,  Drew Barrymore, and Kate Beckinsale.

I waited in a rush line of  a couple hundred people, hoping to get tickets to the “New Robert De Niro movie!” I’ll admit I had no idea what the film was about and and why so many people were going crazy about this film.I believed that the most I would take out of that night would be possibly meeting one of the cast members and snapping a picture or getting an autograph.

After receiving my ticket and sitting down the evening began with De Niro himself coming to the front of the theater to welcome everyone to his film. He was received by a thunderous amount of applause. He was definitely the crowd favorite. He then introduced Drew Barrymore along with Kate Beckinsale. Finally the film began.

The film followed an excited father preparing for a visit from his children. Sadly all cancel on him and he decides to visit them himself even though his doctor discourages him to travel in his condition.  His first stop his his Son David whom he feels that during his childhood he may have been too hard on him. The light hearted feel of the film turns serious when he can’t get a hold of him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the acting. De Niro did a wonderful job playing the father. The camera picked up on all his subtle emotions and it was beautiful to watch. The plot dragged in some area’s but I felt that the audience could make an emotional connection with each character which is very important in a film.

I enjoyed the message of the film, which I believe was; Love is blind. In the story the father settled for  hearing about the good things going on in the lives of his children for so long that it was hard to have an honest relationship with them. It is implied that throughout the children’s lives the father had too high expectations of them.

I thought the writing was very well done. I respected Jones’ creative ideas on how to show what the father was thinking and feeling. It was all done in a very touching and beautiful way.

I highly recommend this film.