For some, The Upside of Anger will be little more than a beep under the radar. I guess part of the blame belongs to New Line Cinema's marketing campaign. With the prolific cast on board this doesn't seem too hard of a task (Or has Kevin Costner still not been forgiven for Waterworld?). Anyways, for those who do have the chance of seeing the film, they might find themselves enjoying the low-key romantic comedy. It's rather surprising a man directed The Upside of Anger, as it is more than anything else about female companionship. Director Mike Binder's look at these five women ranges from the ordinary (a character who has the ridiculous notion she's repulsive and fat) to the confusing (an utterly confounding where the women start laughing while a guy sits as oblivious as me). In a way, I feel like Kevin Costner's character- not always fully comprehending, yet oddly compelled.
Joan Allen plays Terry, a mother who suspects her husband is fooling around with a perky Swedish secretary. She finds comfort in the company of a retired baseball player (Kevin Costner) that she drinks with. It doesn't take too long for their relationship to turn physical and then something deeper yet. Terry has four daughters. The eldest (Alicia Witt) wants nothing more than to distance herself from Terry after college. Emily (Keri Russell) is a dancer workaholic who Terry is worried doesn't eat enough. Andy (Erika Christensen) is hired as a production assistant by the lowlife producer of Costner's radio show. And the youngest Popeye (Evan Rachel Wood) has a crush on a new kid.
Although it doesn't stray too far from the conventions of the genre, the film does try new things. Perhaps most notably, the Upside of Anger is a romantic comedy where the two characters rolling in the sheets (so to speak) aren't two attractive twenty-year olds. Also, while Terry and her daughters share a close relationship, they're rarely confidantes. A number of times they aren't even friendly to each other.
Also, Mike Binder effectively underplays the film. Something as mundane as a character slurping soup becomes an exercise in tense feelings. And the underplayed and relaxed nature helps draw attention to the performances. Kevin Costner's character could be imagined as the character in Bull Durham or Field of Dreams once the magic has gone. Although he's a drunk slob, he is also a kind and likable guy. All four daughters (particularly Evan Rachel Wood) give good performances. This movie however belongs to Joan Allen. Somewhat paradoxically with the film's underlying message, Allen's best scenes often draw from anger. In one scene, she catches Andy in bed with the producer and unable to say anything, she huffs off in Olympian fury.
For most of its one-hundred-thirty-five minute length, The Upside of Anger is a pleasant romantic comedy with something to say.
