Synopsis
After her husband runs off with his secretary, Terry Wolfmeyer is left to fend for herself -- and her four daughters. As she hits rock bottom, Terry finds a friend and drinking buddy in next-door neighbor Denny, a former baseball player. As the two grow closer, and her daughters increasingly rely on Denny, Terry starts to have reservations about where their relationship is headed.
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Cast
- Joan AllenTerry Wolfmeyer
- Kevin CostnerDenny Davies
- Erika ChristensenAndy Wolfmeyer
- Keri RussellEmily Wolfmeyer
- Alicia WittHadley Wolfmeyer
- Evan Rachel WoodPopeye Wolfmeyer
- Mike BinderAdam 'Shep' Goodman
- Tom HarperDavid Junior
- Dane ChristensenGordon Reiner
- Danny WebbGrey Wolfmeyer
Recommendations
- 88
Rolling Stone
A fiercely funny human comedy with jokes that sting and leave marks. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Allen turns the character into a tour de force that unleashes an unexpected comedy about compassion and self-loathing. - 80
Variety
Increasingly exhibits a desire to amuse and distract rather than go deep, which ultimately generates disappointment in light of its announced intentions. - 80
L.A. Weekly
One senses that this is an intensely personal project for Binder, who is not as forgiving as he might be toward the mercurial mother. Still, the film is carried by Costner and Allen, who project a chemistry so incrementally built on reluctant camaraderie, they almost seem like siblings. - 75
ReelViews
The Upside of Anger belongs to Joan Allen (for whom director/screenwriter Mike Binder developed the project). - 75
Entertainment Weekly
The Upside of Anger is overly therapized, yet Costner and Allen show you what it means not just to play a role but to inhabit it. - 60
The A.V. Club
The film's outsized ambitions are deceptive: Everything here is less than meets the eye. - 60
The New York Times
A seriously flawed movie wrapped around two nearly perfect performances.
