The Upside of Anger (6/10 Rating)

Released March 11, 2005 (Limited)

Streaming on Max, For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

R: Language, Sexual Situations, Brief Comic Violence, and Some Drug Use

1h 58m

In the 90s two-time Oscar winner Kevin Costner was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but by the early 2000s, while he worked steadily, his films and stardom had faded. Chances are you recognize most of his 90s films: Field of Dreams (89…but I rounded up!), Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, JFK, The Bodyguard. However, by the 2000s, his filmography might be more under the category of Movies You Missed. A few gems I would recommend: Open Range, Mr. Brooks, The New Daughter, and of course this month’s review, The Upside of Anger. Here, Costner gets second billing behind three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen (The Crucible, Nixon, The Crucible, The Contender). Costner is fun in his role as the retired professional baseball player turned stoner radio host, but this is Joan Allen’s movie and whether you like her character or not, her performance is great. Allen plays a sharp-witted suburban wife with four daughters (Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, and Alicia Witt) transitioning into adulthood. At the start of the film, her husband has unexpectedly left them all without explanation, apparently having fled the country with his mistress. The film follows her struggle to cope with the separation, her sudden single parenting of four very different young women, and her romantic dilemmas with her neighbor, played by Costner, who gained twenty pounds for the role. At times it falls into typical romcom tropes and convenient plot devices, but there is a mix of indie weirdness to this film. Writer/Director/Actor Mike Binder (Reign Over Me) struggles some with pacing, especially in the third act, where things shift dramatically. You will either be shook and emotionally moved or roll your eyes and point out every plot hole, feeling you wasted two hours of your life. Perchance. There is one really random moment that comes out of nowhere that I will forever remember. It is a bold choice, but I found it hilarious. Others may be repulsed. Either way…it’s…mind blowing. While many may not find their lifestyles relatable, the family dynamics themselves and frustrations with those closest to us are very relatable and some of the funniest moments. There is a message to be found watching this movie, but it is hard to focus on that as you process the climactic ending. With almost a two-hour runtime, we are given about five minutes to process the dramatic ending before the credits roll. Give this one a watch if you like a dramedy, but don’t get angry at me if you don’t like it…you might just not have all the facts.

Also released in March 2025: Be Cool, The Jacket, The Pacifier, Hostage, Robots, The Ring Two, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, Guess Who