Product: Everybody's Fine (2009)
Rating: 4.0
Everybody's Mediocre
I am going to try not to go into plot, but just why I liked and didn't like the movie.So I watched this movie the first time thinking that it was a comedy because of the trailer. This movie is hardly a comedy first of all, but you knew that from the other reviews already. I thought it was just ok, partly because I was expecting to laugh not grab tissues.I recently watched this movie again, via cable, and I gave it a second chance to see if I got something different from it the second time around, because this time I knew what to expect, drama not comedy.Watching it a second time, I remembered why I liked it. First off I loved Robert De Niro in this movie. I always forget that this is man that also portrayed the serial killer in Cape Fear. In Everybody's Fine he plays a father that was stern (not abusive, just expected only the best, and seemed to shun the mediocre) that was then broken down to a much more approachable father-figure after his wife passes and after having a heart problem, which is the where the movie starts. Robert was great so I move on...The kids, Kate Beckinsale (Amy) , Drew Barrymore (Rosie), Sam Rockwell (Robert), Austin Lysy (David). The actors played each role well, no problems with that. Based on the plot you know they wind up covering up their stories with an I am Fine Version, and a heightened lifestyle to make their father happy.The real problem I had with this movie is one scene. The table scene with all the kids is the best scene of the movie, but it does not come without a few questions. With that said, I feel like they could have done away with it and made something much more approachable to the viewer. Its placed in the movie time-wise correctly but as far as the filming of that scene there is some detachment from the rest of the movie, and yes I know it is supposed to because of the story, but it just doesn't visually fit in the movie. Production had this great scene and they just didn't want to part with it, and I could tell. It did not, however, effect my tear factor, but still, even the second time around I just couldn't get over how it did not fit in the movie. Don't get me wrong, it is not the content of that scene, it is just the way the scene is played out, the content is what ties up everything else, but there is something about it I just really question. But anyways, I can't think of a better scene to fill with it, so I move on... (it does make me want to read the book, if there is one.)My second favorite scene is the hospital night scene. Without spoiling the movie I will just say that this made more tears flow.The movie gets 4 stars, because to me, it wasn't amazing, but it was really well done. In general I would recommend the movie because I did enjoy it, and the actors portrayed the family genuinely.