The Upside of Anger (2005)

Fresh and Exciting

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I watched this movie in late 2013 and honestly it was painful. I don't see how anyone can rank it more than 1 out of 10. The only interesting thing was the daughters short lived relationship with an older man. Honestly though, I want my 2 hours back.The twist was also a joke. I mean if someone left they would obviously take there most important documentation and still use credit cards or bank cards etc, so how the wife didn't know her husband really ran off was beyond me.Also movie claimed to have comedy aspects, but it wasn't funny at all.Actually Kevin Costner is a great actor/guy in this movie, but it seems unrealistic that he would be interested in the horrible character 'Terry Ann'. Even in the movie he explains his attraction to her despite the tension in the house etc. It wasn't believable.

The trailer sucks and does not do justice to the actual movie which is a wonderful experience.Joan Allen is the most natural actor I think I've ever known, although the rest of this movies' cast did a great job too. This leads me to how delightfully and perfectly genuine this movie's story turned out to feel like not only through the entire presentation but the actors contributed tons to that aspect. I mean, it didn't even feel like I was watching a movie with actors playing roles, but more like watching real life happening in the neighbourhood or something. A part of this is in the general atmosphere which is very calm all through the movie but never gets boring, not ever but more like draws you in. Yet this doesn't lack interesting drama - it just doesn't come off as movie-ish as usually in movies.Even so, I daresay even those who are more into action and adventure, may very well enjoy this. At least me and my brother who are fans of stuff like The Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes and other such, we truly enjoyed this movie.There a very graphic gory moment which is one of the humorous moments of the over-all pleasantly genuine humour in this movie. I bet gore is something you'd never expect to see in a movie of this genre, but they totally made it fit in. It suits the situation in which it happens by the how and why it happens. Even if yo're sensitive to gore, I daresay that scene will not bother you but rather amuse. I daresay this because even my other brother who is extremely sensitive to any violence in movies, was not bothered and found it funny regardless of how graphic it was. But of course we're all individuals, so be warned; there is a really gory moment that is likely to rather amuse but might disturb as well.Now, personally they lost me at some point with the whole anger-philosophy one of the characters speaks in voice-overs. The beginning was easy to follow and understand but along the way and at the end I it got more complicated...but it hardly matters because the story itself already got its point through when it comes to anger. Especially through the ending twist which you kind of saw coming but not really. I bet no one could guess the rather shocking revelation of the full picture. Here I must warn, that the final truth of the story is somewhat depressing, maybe even slightly disturbing for the most sensitive of people. But again, that twist adds to the genuine-life feel and power of this movie, and makes this the memorable and important piece that this is.I warmly recommend this to anyone, no matter what your preferred movie genre is. You're going to miss a lot if you don't watch this movie.

This is one of those films that I watched because I have an anger problem myself. Worse than that 9/10 it is justified or even directed correctly. This is such a film that explores the relationship we all have w/anger. Like another comment said, "The Joan Allen show," that is totally correct. Kevin Costner is good here too, but only as a supporting role, which is a good thing at this point in his career. Please watch this film so that we shouldn't judge before we know all the facts. Many of us judge or get angry too easily because we don't know the whole story, I'm one of those people. Here's hoping this might change some people from getting too upset too easily.

Terry Ann Wolfemeyer(Joan Allen)is feeling life cave in around her. Her daughters are seemingly growing up too fast,her drinking is coming WAY too easily and she's just found out that her husband's been cheating on her with his Swedish secretary/assistant. As if this isn't bad enough,said hubby disappears,apparently running off with said mistress.IN her desire to not drink alone,she makes the company of an equally boozy former major league pitcher named Denny DAvies(Kevin Costner,in what feels like his eighteenth movie where he's a baseball player).Together,they stumble along to something approximating a relationship in their own clumsy,inebriated way,and also come to an understanding that in their loneliness and drinking,their apparent lack of having much else in common might be more superficial than they either expected.Great performances by Costner(who's a real RE-discovery here),Allen and--as Allen's sharp and increasingly opinionated daughters--Evan Rachel Wood,Keri Russell,Alicia Witt and Erika Christensen buoy this movie directed by and co-written by one-time stand-up comic Mike Binder(who also co-stars as Denny's radio producer and erstwhile friend). This sis certainly a good cheap rent if not a top-dollar ticket viewing experience. Give it a try and see if you don't agree.