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Upside of Anger: A film with (sucker) punch

By HAP ERSTEIN
Palm Beach Post

There is so much that is compelling about The Upside of Anger, a bitter comedy about a woman trying to raise four daughters from inside of a liquor bottle after her husband walks out on her, that we find ourselves hoping that writer-director Mike Binder does not misstep and throw away his built-up goodwill.

New Line Productions 'The Upside of Anger' B The verdict: Worth seeing; just not the ending Director: Mike Binder Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen and Keri Russell Run time: 116 minutes Release date: March 18, 2005 Rating: PG for language, sexual situations, brief comic violence and some drug use See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer   -- Trailers require Quicktime Rate "The Upside of Anger"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

But sure enough, his tale leads to a twist ending that is not only far-fetched, but which calls into question the actions and assumptions of characters from the movie's start. Go, because the performances of Joan Allen and even Kevin Costner are not to be missed, but do yourself a favor and get up and leave before the final 10 minutes.

Allen (The Contender, Nixon) is a remarkable actress who brims with intelligence, but often comes off emotionally cool. Both qualities serve her well as Terry Wolfmeyer, a suburban Detroit housewife who is stunned and stung by the sudden disappearance of her husband of 20 years, presumably run off with his Swedish secretary.

Terry is consumed with anger, some of which rubs off on her high school and college-age daughters, but much of it they focus back on her. The eldest, Hadley (Alicia Witt, TV's Cybill), openly resents Terry and thumbs her nose at her by getting pregnant and marrying as she is about to graduate. Andy (Erika Christensen, Traffic) rebels by rejecting college, taking a job at a talk radio station and entering into a wildly inappropriate relationship with a slovenly producer (Binder).

Daughter three, Emily (Keri Russell, TV's Felicity) yearns to be a dancer, a goal Terry staunchly disapproves of, but she is an ignored middle child until a medical emergency lands her in the hospital. And there is little Popeye (Evan Rachel Wood, Thirteen) — the nickname remains a mystery — who wants to have a boyfriend, even as she sees the odd match-ups all around her.

No wonder Terry starts the day with a stiff drink to try to blot out the world with booze.

Costner, whose career seemed over or at least ready for demotion on television, is a pleasant, seedy surprise as Denny Davies, a has-been ball player turned radio personality who seems to pay his bills by selling autographed baseballs. He begins hovering around Terry's house, first to persuade her to sell the land behind her house for a new subdivision, then to have a drinking buddy and eventually to have a bedmate. Costner leads with his paunch in a performance without any vanity, adding a welcome sweetness that counteracts Terry's mean streak.

The Upside of Anger begins at a funeral, then flashes back three years. It is a dubious device that distracts us with the guessing game of "who died?" — a question whose answer is the movie's big weakness.

Binder's screenwriting often punctuates scenes with wince moments, but he is surprisingly assured as a director. His visual style is confident without being showy, he gets fine performances all around from his cast and is genuinely funny as the aging doofus who knows how to stand up to Terry's withering sneer.

These are real, flawed characters who are easy to care about, even Allen's Terry, who risks turning an audience off with her brittle aloofness. Although not far off from other roles she has played, Allen anchors the movie and is always worth watching. She never takes a false step, although the same cannot be said for the movie.