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Movies / On DVD / The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger

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The Upside of Anger (2005)

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Reviews Counted:167

Fresh:122

Rotten:45

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: A comedy/ drama for grown-ups, with fine performances by Joan Allen and Kevin Costner.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:04-05-2007

Synopsis: Starring Joan Allen, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER spans three years of a woman's life following her husband's sudden disappearance. Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen), an affluent suburban Detroit wife and mother,... Starring Joan Allen, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER spans three years of a woman's life following her husband's sudden disappearance. Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen), an affluent suburban Detroit wife and mother, goes from a paragon of sweetness to a volcano of rage in the wake of her husband's desertion; she thinks he has jetted off to Sweden with his Swedish secretary. Barely holding it together for her four daughters (distinctively played by Alicia Witt, Keri Russell, Erika Christensen, and Evan Rachel Wood), Terry fitfully adjusts while befriending Denny Davies (Costner), a retired baseball player and radio personality up the street who shares her love of the all-day cocktail hour. Allen is a delightful force, displaying serious comedic talent and effortlessly stealing each scene. She glows with an unaffected sexiness, while Costner shines as the seemingly all-wrong man who turns out to be completely right. Writer-director Mike Binder casts a keenly perceptive eye on male-female relationships, a topic he also explored in his critically-acclaimed HBO series THE MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN. Binder also appears in a role as Denny's producer Shep, a shallow womanizer with surprisingly resonant reasons for being shallow. As the three years pass, Terry and her daughters are confronted with varying individual situations, choices, and compromises, with moments that ring true in ways both moving and strikingly funny. THE UPSIDE OF ANGER is an ideal combination of drama and humor. [More]

Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Alicia Witt

Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, Mike Binder

Director: Mike Binder

Director: Mike Binder
Producer: Alex Gartner, Jack Binder, Sammy Lee
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Reviews for The Upside of Anger

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
05/12/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Engaging, brilliantly directed, frequently funny and ultimately moving drama with a terrific script and superb performances from Allen and Costner.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
05/04/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Very watchable.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
05/04/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

A grandstanding performance from Joan Allen is the main attraction in this suburban dramacom.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
05/04/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
thelondonpaper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The final twist is misjudged, and it doesn't cohere at any level; but some funny moments.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
05/04/07
Independent

Hilarious, moving and intoxicating.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
05/04/07
Johnny Vaughan
Johnny Vaughan
Sun Online

Self-pitying and saccharine, this big whining ball of dross drags itself across the screen for two interminable hours, climaxing in a twist ending that comes with neon road signs attached.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
05/04/07
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Entertaining but flawed look behind suburbia’s twitching curtains.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
05/04/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is well worth investigating.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
05/04/07
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Showy and door-slamming but very watchable.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
05/04/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A superior suburban chick flick.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
05/04/07
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

While beautifully cast and acted, this focuses on its comic strengths to the detriment of the drama, creating an unbalanced tone and leading to self-conscious attempts at serious observation. A pleasant watch, but nowhere near as profound as it thinks it

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/04/07
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Compelling and honest with flashes of dark humour which makes this a meaty comedy drama.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
05/04/07
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Allen's imperious turn and Costner's affable charm go a long way to ensuring you'll look back on Anger with affection.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
05/01/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
09/21/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

l, yet the movie’s There’s spiky humour and ample breathing room for the material, yet the movie's rather too intent on parading its own wisdom.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Trevor Johnston
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Writer/director/actor Mike Binder (writer on HBO's "The Mind Of The Married Man") is to blame for this melodramatic game of Three Card Monte.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/16/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
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Latest News for The Upside of Anger

June 08, 2006: Sandler to Star in 9/11 Drama
Big-screen comedian Adam Sandler is going to get a little more serious for his next role. He'll be starring in Mike Binder's 9/11 drama "Empty City," along with Don... More...

February 21, 2006: Actress Trio Joins Sandler's "Reign"
Actresses Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, and Jada Pinkett-Smith will be joining Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle in "Reign O'er Me," a post-9/11 drama from "Upside of... More...

January 11, 2006: Chicago Critics Pick Their 2005 Winners (and Iowa!)
The Chicago Film Critics Group announced their nominees just before New Years' Eve, and they reconvened this week to vote on their year-end favorites. Also, the Iowa Film... More...

January 10, 2006: Online Film Critics Offer Their Annual Nominations
The OFCS, which is hosted right here at Rotten Tomatoes and (full disclosure) includes yours truly as a member, announced their year-end nominations yesterday ... and we hope... More...

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