The Upside of Anger

"Be nice!"

"That's not in my nature."

Terry Ann Wolfmeyer (Allen) is angry.  Her husband Grey (Danny Webb) has disappeared and they believe he ran off with his former secretary, with whom he was having an affair.  Bitter and angry, she pushes away her daughters and spends her time drinking.  Her drinking buddy is their neighbor Denny Davies (Costner), a retired baseball player turned radio host, and relationship forms.

Her daughters are dealing with the loss of their father in different ways.  Hadley (Witt) graduates from college, marries her boyfriend David (Harper), and becomes a mother, in quick succession.  Andy (Christensen) gets a job at Denny's show and begins dating his producer Shep (Binder).  Emily (Russell) wants to become a dancer, and Lavendar "Popeye" (Wood) is an amateur filmmaker.  Can Terry and her daughters move forward together, or will bitterness drive them apart?


My uncle suggested I watch this film.  I vaguely knew of the film, but it wasn't really on my radar, and without the recommendation I probably would have never seen the film.  I was pleasantly surprised by this film.  It was first experience with a Mike Binder film, and I enjoyed his writing and direction.

The casting is excellent.  The film is a showcase for Joan Allen, who delivers on every occasion, making you grow to care about Terry and her situation.  She has excellent chemistry with Kevin Costner, who plays a loveable character.  Costner gets numerous opportunities for his character to grow and change, and it is fun to watch his journey.  Alicia Witt, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, and Evan Rachel Wood have a believable chemistry as sisters, and each get a moment to shine.

All around a well-made, well-acted film.  It will never be a big hit, and may be polarizing for some viewers, but it is worth looking into.

The Upside of Anger (2005) 118 minutes
Rating: R for language, sexual situations, brief comic violence and some drug use
Director: Mike Binder
Starring: Joan Allen as Terry Ann Wolfmeyer
Kevin Costner as Denny Davies
Erika Christensen as Andy Wolfmeyer
Keri Russell as Emily Wolfmeyer
Alicia Witt as Hadley Wolfmeyer
Evan Rachel Wood as Lavendar "Popeye" Wolfmeyer
Mike Binder as Adam "Shep" Goodman
Tom Harper as David
Dane Christensen as Gordon Reiner