Everybody's Fine (2009)

We expected something a bit more rip-roaring from Kirk Jones, the director of the hilarious British comedy Waking Ned Devine, but instead got a thoughtful family drama, a remake of a 1990 Italian movie of the same name (or Stanno tutti bene). This family, the Goodes, says everybody's fine when they aren't, and that could be the reason for the understated roles of some talented actors. 

Robert De Niro (Oscars for Raging Bull (1980) and The Godfather: Part II (1974), and some of my favorites are Brazil (1985), Cape Fear (1991), This Boy's Life (1993), Flawless (1999), as well as his comedic roles in Meet the Parents and the sequel (2000, 2004, and one expected in 2010), and What Just Happened) plays Frank Goode, is a recent widower who is disappointed when his four grown children all cancel on a summer family reunion, and he decides to surprise each of them, traveling by train and bus from Elmira, NY, to Manhattan, Chicago, Denver, and Las Vegas (shooting locations were New York and various places in Connecticut--the house and office in "Chicago" are spectacular). Lovely Kate Beckinsale (first came to my attention in the delightful Cold Comfort Farm (1995), and was good in Whit Stillman's The Last Days of Disco (1998), Laurel Canyon (2002), and more) is bland daughter Amy in Chicago. Sam Rockwell (I last wrote about him for Moon) is equally under-utilized as brother Robert. Drew Barrymore (covered in Whip It) brings much-needed warmth to the movie as daughter Rosie in Vegas. We like the kid, Lucien Maisel, who plays Amy's son and looks a bit like Bill Maher. The appearance of the younger versions of Frank's children is a clever touch and nicely executed. Young Amy is played by Kate Beckinsale's own daughter (with actor Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)) Lily Sheen, who, like her mother, has learned to speak with an American accent despite being a Brit. Other cameos: Amy's husband is played by Damian Young, known to Jack and me as Bill, Karen's almost-husband in Showtime's Californication; and Rosie's friend is Katherine Moennig, from another Showtime series, The L Word (she played Shane). 

 This isn't comedy and it's not De Niro's usual life and death depth. In fact, the actor himself agrees with me, that he should have shown a little bit more intensity, in this interview. But Paul McCartney numbers among the movie's fans, and wrote a song specifically for it after seeing a screening (here's more). The soundtrack is by Dario Marianelli, Oscar winner for Atonement (I love Briony's theme--listen to clips here). There are going to be a lot of must-see movies this season; though this isn't one of them, it was enjoyable and we didn't dislike it.