More from author
-	The Upside of Anger
-	DRAMA: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-	DRAMA: Somersault

See news about

activism AKP Al Yamamah alcoholism treatment Angelina Jolie BAE Systems Bill Murray bizarre news BRIT Awards Buick car crash Celebrity Commonwealth Bank Series Cricket Demi Moore extradition formula one France Gambhir genocide geri Halliwell headlines single Health Care Commission Heather Mills Hutu Hyperinflation Impeachment James Earl Katie Holmes Kylie Minogue Mika military tribunal MRSA Mugabe music Pakistan Pakistan Tour Paris Hilton Politics Ponting Prince Harry and Chelsy Rod Stewart Saudi Arabia SCG Secularists security Serious Fraud Office Sienna Miller Stockholm Syndrome Symonds terrorism The Huff Tim Burton Tutsi usic Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham nude Yves Leterme00710 Worst Nude Film Scenes2nd amendment50 Cent50-Centa-teamA-Team movieABBAAbbie CornishAbi TitmussAbigail BreslinAcademy AwardsaccidentsAdam SandleraddictionsAdeleAdnan GhalibAfghanistanAfton SmithAgyness DeynAir IndiaAishwarya RaiAl GoreAl Pacinoal QaedaAl-QaedaAlan ArkinAlan RickmanAlanis MorisseteAlanis MorissetteAlbert Einsteinalcoholalcohol addictionalcoholismAlec BaldwinAlesha DixonAlex TurnerAlexandriaAli CampbellAli LarterAlicia KeysAlicia SilverstoneAllahAlli SimsAmanda HoldenAmanda PeetAmanda SeyfriedAmazonAmelle BerrabahAmerican IdolAmerican PieAmy AdamsAmy RyanAmy WinehouseAmy Winehouse is planning a massive Christmas bingAnatole TaubmannAndhraAndrew MortonAndy HilfigerAndy SerkisAng LeeAngela MerkelAngelina Jolieanimal rightsAnjelica HustonAnna NicoleAnna Nicole SmithAnne HathawayAnnie LennoxAnthony HopkinsAnthony MinghellaAnti-IconAntonio BanderasAppleArctic MonkeysAretha FranklinAri SandelArmaniArnieArnold SchwarzeneggerArpad BussonAshantiAshely TisdaleAshlee SimpsonAshley ColeAshley JuddAshley OlsenAshley TisdaleAshton KutcherAsif Ali ZardariAsley OlsenAssamastronautAtonementAtonement\'Audrey HepburnAustraliaAvril LavigneAyda FieldBabelbabyBackstairs BillyBackstreet Boysbad influencesBaftaBaghdadBalticBangladeshBar RafaeliBar RefaeliBarack ObamaBarry ManilowBasraBattlestar GalacticaBBCBeatlesbeauty pageantBeckhambecome news reporterBeethovenBelgiumBen AffleckBenazirBenazir assassinationBenazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto assassinationBenazir Bhutto photosBenazir Bhutto stampsBenazir Bhutto willBenezir Bhutto assassinationBeowulfBernardo BertolucciBest ActressBest Dressed in 2007best haircutbest motorcycle movie momentsbest moviesBeth DittoBethlehemBette MidlerBeverly Hills 90210BeyonceBeyoncé KnowlesBeyonc¨¦ KnowlesBilawal ZardarBilawal ZardariBill GatesBillie PiperBillionaireBilly JoelBilly Zanebinge drinkingBipasha Basubird fluBismarckBizarre NewsBjorkBlack CrowesBlack Eyed PeasBlake FielderBlake Fielder CivilBlake Fielder-CivilBlaze Media ProblogbloggerbloggingBlurBMWBo DerekBob DylanBobby BrownBollywoodbombBon JoviBondBond 22Bond girlBond girlsBonoBoratBotoxBoy GeorgeBrad PittBrad RenfroBrainBrandon RouthBrandyBrazilbrazil prisonbread thievesBrendan FraserBrian MayBrian McFaddenBrian WilliamsBridget JonesBridget MoynahanBRIT AwardsBritish royal familyBritish Secret IntelligenceBritney SpearBritney SpearsBritney Spears adoptionBritney Spears body doubleBritney Spears lawyerBritney Spears psychological evaluationBritsBrittany MurphyBrooke ShieldsBruce LeeBruce SpringsteenBruce WillisBruneiBryan AdamsBuckingham Palacebulletproof vestBushBusta RhymesCairoCalista FlockhartCalvin KleinCameron DiazCameron MackintosCamila AlvesCamillaCanadaCanada¡¯s Juno AwardscancercannabisCannesCannes Film FestivalCapri Hollywood Film FestivalCarey HartCarla Bruni-SarkozyCarmen ElectraCarmit BacharCaroline KennedyCarrie UnderwoodCasablancaCasey AffleckCasey AldridgeCash WarrenCasio keyboard

 

The two eldest of the four Wolfmeyer siblings, Andy (Erika Christensen) and Hadley (Alicia Witt), refuse to be entrenched in the era of depression that reigns the family’s household. Instead they follow their own leads by, in Andy’s case, securing a rather high profile position of employment at Denny’s (Costner) radio station and, for Hadley, running for sanity in arms of University and delving into the unknown of marriage and motherhood.

To add to the list of talented cast members is Kevin Costner, who committed to gaining twenty pounds for the role. Costner plays Denny, the former baseball hero and, in more recent times, radio DJ and alcoholic who lives across the road from the Wolfmeyers. This role is a far cry from the award winning Dances with Wolves, however, if any film was to win back his Hollywood credibility this one is, without a doubt, the pick of the bunch.

There is substantially more to Denny than simply Terry’s neighbour who pops on over to offer support as a drinking partner and bed associate (despite hiding in his backyard, decked out in his bed clothes, upon Terry’s first invitation for sexual relations). Denny’s true intention for their relationship is rapidly unveiled; his one and only desire is to make her smile.

Every character in the film is well rounded, polished, complex and complete. It truly would have been a travesty for the astounding dialogue and punchy lines cleverly scripted by Mike Binder, who also directed the film and stars as Andy’s radio guru boyfriend, to have been thrown away by less talented actors. Although a couple of the roles were previously offered to alternative actors, such as the likes of singing sensation Mandy Moore, The Upside of Anger could not have been cast with more suitable actors.

This may sound like a rather emotionally draining mixture of sub plots and complicated characters, with a slightly unbalanced mixture of oestrogen and testosterone; and may you not be fooled, as that it surely is. It is the black humour, the gruesome exploding head at the dinner table (yes, it’s true; but you must watch it for yourself!), the dog slobbered chicken and the familiarity of family domestics that differentiates The Upside of Anger from the typical tragedies and triumphs of Bold and the Beautiful, or such other soapy dramas that take years to unfold and progress. It’s a magical and inspiring lesson on the ability to turn negative situations into positives.

Rating: 9/10

Kevin Costner, Keri Russell, Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Alicia Witt, Mike Binder, Dane Christensen



Director: Mike Binder

Rated: R (USA) M (Australia)

Official Release Date: 11 March 2005 (USA) 12 May 2005 (Australia)

Running Time: 118 minutes

Official Website: http://www.upsideofanger.com/