User reviews

I really enjoyed Stranger than Fiction and, since I had heard Will Ferrell's performance in that movie compared favorably to the one in Everything Must Go, was excited to see EMG. I walked away after seeing EMG a little unsure of whether I truly enjoyed the movie or just merely appreciated the quality of the director's vision and execution. Everything Must Go is the story of Nick Halsey (Ferrell), a struggling alcoholic who, in the first 10 minutes of the movie, has been laid of from his job and kicked out of his house by his wife, all within the same day. The rest of the movie looks at Halsey's attempt to manage the tension between wanting what he once had and trying to pursue a life that he desires, even though he isn't entirely sure of what that looks like. I will start by saying I thought the acting of everyone involved, especially Will Ferrell and Christopher Jordan Wallace, was superb and a highlight of the movie. I thought the music and visuals added significantly to the feel of the movie, especially how so much of the movie occurred in the front yard with the records of his father occasionally playing in the background. Now I knew to expect a story that was not a happy-go-lucky comedy (is there one about an alcoholic struggling with sobriety), but was hoping for some more lightheartedness. I did particularly enjoy watching the relationship between Nick Halsey and Wallace's "Kenny Loftus", and thought that the filmmakers did a good job pairing the two actors up. A couple of things with which I walked away: first, I found it interesting how the director decided to show Halsey's eventual growth in the way that he let go of certain things, and to whom he left them. Afterwards, a friend of mine and I discussed how difficult these acts would have been, but thought it appropriate for someone trying to move beyond such a serious issue as alcoholism. I also found it interesting that such a pivotal character, like Halsey's wife, has no screen time at all, save for her voice in one scene. It is as if the filmmakers want us to see how much damage one person has managed to do by simply stepping out of another's life. Overall, I do believe that the movie was well made, with an interesting story and fantastic acting, but the mood of the film was a little heavier than what I was looking for.

Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, who arrives home from being fired from his job to find all his belongings on his front lawn. Nick finds a note on his door from his wife letting him know that she has decided to leave him.

Rapt with despair Nick, who is a recovering alcoholic, starts drinking heavily and camps out on his front with all his possessions. Eventually, Nick befriends one of the kids in his neighborhood, and together they hold a yard sale on his front lawn to sell off everything that he owns.

This is really a story about hitting rock bottom and figuring out a way to start over again. Nick selling off all his belongings becomes cathartic for him as he lets go of his past.

Will Ferrell shows some excellent depth in this film. This was huge departure from his normal roles. He may not have nailed it but I admire the fact that he took so much risk with this role. The movie could worth checking out for that alone.

I really enjoyed Rebecca Hall as the next door neighbor that helps Nick on his path to redemption. She impressed me in Vicky Christina Barcelona and The Town and she does an excellent job on this film as well. I look forward to seeing some of the movies she has coming out next year.

This movie is far from perfect, The pacing is pretty slow, the ending is too abrupt and it lacked some of the emotional punch that it seemed to be striving for. It was an interesting watch however and its worth checking out.

OK, maybe not an Oscar, but definitely some kind of recognition for the performance he gave in this movie. I'll be honest, when I chose this off my streaming service, I was a little hesitant. After all, Ferrell is known for his raucous humor (which I enjoy), but having seen previous reviews for this film - I knew it wasn't "Anchor Man" material. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Depth, great acting (by most, if not all of the cast), impeccably well placed music - and a story that most everyone can relate to.

This is well worth the 90 mins or so if you have it. Proving once again that comedians can, and do, provide some of the most incredible dramatic performances on film (e.g. Robin Williams, "Good Will Hunting").

'EVERYTHING MUST GO': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Will Ferrell tries his hand at more serious comedy-drama again (after the likes of 2006's 'STRANGER THAN FICTION') with this tale of a relapsed alcoholic who loses his job and wife on the same day and resorts to living on his front lawn. It's based on the short story 'Why Don't You Dance' by Raymond Carver and is written and directed by first time filmmaker Dan Rush. It co-stars Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, Stephen Root, Laura Dern and Christopher Jordan Wallace (the son of Faith Evans and the late rapper 'The Notorious B.I.G.') in his second film. The movie is funny as well as depressing and emotional. It's a nice step in Ferrell's career, for exploring broader range.

Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who's recently fell off the wagon. As the film opens he's fired from his job for apparently having an affair with a new employee and then left by his wife for the same reason. He's also locked out of his home (after his wife changes the locks), with all of his belongings left on the front lawn. His credit cards have all been canceled as well and his company car is repossessed by his former employers. With no money and no place to go he decides to camp out on his front lawn with all his stuff. His neighbors complain of him being a public nuisance though and he's reported to the police. Thanks to city law his cop buddy Frank (Pena) is able to give him five days to hold a yard sale before he has to kick him off the property. While trying to sell his stuff Nick befriends a new neighbor across the street (Hall) and a local neighborhood kid (Wallace).

Like I said the movie is surprisingly dramatic for a Will Ferrell movie and he pulls off his performance impressively. The material isn't too much of a stretch for him given that it's still pretty comedic but it's definitely honest and set in reality (unlike the majority of his films, which are mostly slapstick) and there's some pretty hard hitting drama at times as well, especially towards the end. The movie still has a sizable amount of laughs though so traditional Ferrell fans shouldn't be disappointed. That's why the movie is the perfect step for Ferrell (to test out his range). A gigantic leap in to serious drama would be to sudden and the film works perfectly as is. A smart move for Ferrell and a decent film results because of it.

Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEq_X_axUaU

It's a touching, and beautiful character study on real people, with real problems. You can go anywhere - and you'll find someone who's faced an alcoholic - and the effects it has on their personality, their relationships, and ultimately their life. Now, ask three people about divorce - statistics show that over 50% of couples end in separation. Since you've covered two dramatic issues, go take a look at the unemployment rate - or even worse, about the people who've been laid off from their job because of the recession. Finally, imagine facing all three devastating predicaments, in one day. "Everything Must Go", is loosely adapted from the Raymond Carver story "Why Don't You Dance?"--a portrait of a man in collapse.

After Nick (Will Farrell) is fired from his sales job, mostly because of his alcoholism, he comes home and finds that his wife has kicked him --and all of his stuff out of the house and onto the front lawn. She's also canceled their co-owned credit cards and pretty much set him adrift with nowhere, literally, to go. So he pulls up his La-Z-Boy, He cracks a perpetual 12-pack, and drops out of normal life entirely.

Ferrell's work is impressive; there are comic moments scattered throughout the film, but he downplays them until they become moments of desperation. He slowly starts making friends with a neighborhood kid Kenny (Christopher Walace), who also does a fine job, who needs something to do. Two women enter Nick's new anti-life: a new neighbor pregnant Samantha (Rebecca Hall), awaiting the arrival of an absent husband, and an old high school classmate Delilah, played by Laura Dern. Eventually, Nick then finds himself eventually--ready to move on--and selling all his possessions to do so.

This is all accomplished by first time writer/director Dan Rush. He shows us a simplistic story, harnesses it into his own, and produces a deeply moving motion picture. It never feels clichéd or forced--Rush lets his film transcend nicely by not creating plot points for sentiment or lines of dialect for pity. Sure, there's a transformation in Nick's character - but all of it is done with nuance and genuine compassion.

"Everything Must Go" isn't a comedy, but it's not entirely a tragedy, either, It straddles this line with a deeply nuanced confidence. Unconventional, but heart-felt and nonetheless satisfying. "Everything Must Go" leaves on a somewhat melancholy note. We see Nick finally paying his dues,--respecting and giving back to those who've helped him through this dark time. The Band's "I Shall Be Released" starts playing in the background-- and the film morphs from engaging to moving.

I'll readily admit, this is not my favorite genre. This movie was incredibly somber, which was especially depressing considering I was expecting a comedy. One of the quotes on the movie jacket said, "Sharply funny." Not that there were NO funny moments but not nearly enough to classify the entire movie as funny.

Will Ferrell was good in this bleak film. I hadn't seen something quite like this since the 80's movie "Less Than Zero" with Robert Downey Jr. Ferrell played Nicholas, a lush that just lost his job and his wife due to his habit. The movie plays out on his front lawn with all of his belongings as his wife moved all his stuff outside and had all the locks changed.

"Everything Must Go" dives in to the dark and pitiful world of alcoholics. Even though this movie is about an alcoholic it could just as easily be about any addiction. There is not much by way of action or anything really. The movie follows the listless Nicholas as he forges some new bonds and tries to restore old ones all while in his front lawn. It's a slow moving sobering movie that is done quite well.

Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) loses his job of 16 years for drunkenness. His wife has locked him out and thrown all his stuff onto the front lawn. He befriends his new pregnant neighbor Samantha (Rebecca Hall). His cop friend Frank Garcia (Michael Peña) tells him to at least pretend to have a yard sale. There is the kid Kenny Loftus who Nick starts paying to watch his stuff.

This is a small indie from newcomer writer/director Dan Rush. All in all, this is simply about Will Ferrell and whether he can pull off this quieter darker character. He's not yelling at everything and he does a good job. He is compelling and drives this movie all the way. It is a little bit jarring to see Will playing against type at first. Once I adjusted, he shows his solid acting.

I think that Will Ferrell is one of those actors that can do a pretty solid job of mixing comedy with drama, and I like when he plays human characters. Unfortunately here he is stuck in a movie that pretends to be this grounded character drama about a broken man who's lost everything, while it's actually just an absurd story that doesn't fit into any real context and meanders along until it thankfully comes to it's disastrous end. The film has a setup that I just couldn't get into at all. Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Ferrell's Nick Halsey gets fired in the opening scene and then goes home to find out that his wife put all of his things on the lawn and changed the locks on the door. Halsey constantly makes a point of mentioning that he owns the house, so why doesn't he just call the police and have them let him in? Seems pretty simple. Even more simple given that his wife just isn't there anymore; why would she bother changing the locks and throwing his things on the lawn if she was just leaving? So right off the bat I wasn't on good terms with this one.

However, I can get past a rocky setup. Earlier this year, Hesher had a pitch that I didn't buy whatsoever, but it still managed to impress me with a strong character study and excellent performances. Everything Must Go, on the other hand, offers no redeeming qualities. After the ridiculous setup, we're loaded with scene after scene of painfully contrived moments that would just never happen. Rebecca Hall plays the clichéd stranger that randomly decides to become friends with the man who is living on his lawn drinking all day. Yeah, every pregnant woman does that. Christopher Jordan Wallace comes along as the young kid who needs a mentor and finds it in the creepy adult with no friends, one of the most idiotic clichés in film. There's a whole ten minute scene with Laura Dern's character that is of no consequence to the rest of the film, adds nothing to the character and is clearly there as filler to get the movie to a decent running time. It's just scene after scene of absurd moves that no one with half a brain could watch with any sense of genuine believability all led by a performance from Ferrell that couldn't have been more lazy and lifeless if he tried. A dreadful picture with absolutely nothing going for it.

"Good without the bad ain't no good at all." After Nick (Ferrell) gets fired from his job of 16 years he comes home to find his wife has changed the locks on his doors and all of his stuff is on the lawn. Thinking the best way to fix things is to stay at home Nick begins his new life, living outside. This is a very very good movie and a very different role for Will Ferrell. While not quite as good as Adam Sandler in "Reign Over Me", Ferrell still shows he has what it takes to be a good dramatic actor. There are a few funny parts in this but this is not a comedy. It's a drama with a lot of heart and while the movie is depressing at times it is a joy to watch. Ferrell does have some funny scenes with his own style of humor that adds to the character and watching him with the actor that plays Kenny is a treat. This is not a typical Will Ferrell movie, but being a huge fan I loved it and look forward to more roles like this from him. I highly recommend this. Overall, if you like Ferrell you will like this, if you don't give this a shot still. You may like the change. I give it an A.

Would I watch again? - I think I would.

*Also try - Barney's Version

After years on "Saturday Night Live" and numerous comedic roles, Will Ferrell takes a more serious, almost dark role as a man who loses his wife and job, and then finds himself locked out of his house with his credit cards canceled, and so he simply decides to live on his lawn. This experience gives him sort of new start to his life.

I've liked that Ferrell has taken on these different kinds of roles. He's shown himself to be a very competent actor, and "Everything Must Go" affirms that, as his character seeks to come up with a new role for himself in a world that has seemingly turned against him. I recommend it. Also starring Rebecca Hall, Michael Peña and Laura Dern.

This is such an underrated film.

First and foremost, Will Ferrell. I barely recognized the man! Such an impressive performance of a struggling alcoholic in the throes of the addiction. It was subtle in such a way that really made viewers see how difficult it can be, but not making it completely depressing.

Supporting performances by Laura Dern, Rebecca Hall, Michael Peña, & young Christopher Wallace were likewise stellar. Several heartfelt moments that were surprisingly moving. I admit to feeling tears a couple times.

I love watching things that turn out far better than expected! And I have a newfound respect for Will Ferrell.

I am a firm believer that comedic actors can pull off some of the most convincing dramatic roles, but they're rarely ever given the chance. Adam Sandler with "Punch Drunk Love", Jim Carrey with "The Truman Show", Robin Williams with "Good Will Hunting", and most recently with Will Ferrell in "Stranger Than Fiction". I'm glad to see that he's getting another go about it, because he has certainly earned it with me.

Does something really dramatic happen in your life, something that changes your entire path, and then a couple of days later you see a movie that seems to capture everything you've been thinking about. Well for me, it's this movie. Given my current situation, this movie really struck a cord with me. Now i know i shouldn't be partial to a movie just because of my current status, so i did take a step back and observed the movie for what it really was, and yet i still found a pretty damn good picture.

The storyline sets itself inside your head with great ease, and i think that's because you can identify with the main character really well. And i'm not just saying that because of my own personal account, but because Will Ferrell IS a comedic actor, and we have all laughed at him in the past. So seeing him in such dire straights kind of makes us feel for him, which in turn, makes the plot that much brighter.

Now i know most people may walk into this thing expecting to see a laugh out loud comedy. You may find that, but it's more on the serious side with some deep and dark humor. Somewhat similar to what he already did in "Stranger Than Fiction", and once again, he does a great job of selling the character. But this movie does have the perfect dose of both the humor and drama, and it never gets caught up trying to do both at the same time.

However, the one minor problem i did have with the film was the ending. It wasn't bad, but i was looking for a more epic finale'. I know i can't get that all the time, but this movie was pushing forward with such great momentum, and you just wanted this overwhelming sense of atonement by the end. Sure i got some of that, but i could have used a bit more.

Bottom Line, i liked this movie a lot. If offers something different, yet something so very simple at the same time. It's both funny and dramatic, and for me, it gave me somewhat of a catharsis. Will Ferrell really has served up another one. I know it's early in the year, but so far, this is one of the best films i have seen in 2011.

Everything Must Go is probably Will Ferrell's first truly well done film in years. The Other Guys was pretty good, Step Brothers was funny in parts, but this one totally takes the cake for being a great drama, and schools anyone who thinks Will Ferrell can't do anything but comedy. Though I doubt fans of Old School will think highly of this.

The plot isn't too much, but it sustains a film. Will Ferrell is Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who has had one too many alcohol-related episodes and has finally lost his job. He returns home to find out his wife has changed all the locks on the house, and has moved all of his belongings to the front yard. Frustrated and hopeless, he decides to life on his front lawn, and make the best out of a horrible situation.

He spends his day sucking down Blue Ribbons beers, until he is met by a chubby adolescent named Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace, the son of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.). Kenny's mom takes care of an elderly woman, leaving him free to roam the streets on his bike. Kenny and Nick strike up an odd, but warm relationship with each other and when Nick is informed by his AA sponsor (Pena) that he must move all his stuff off his lawn in three days, he works with Kenny to help them hold a big yard sale.

A sub-plot involves Nick getting acquainted with the woman across the street who has just moved to the neighborhood and is awaiting her husband's arrival. The relationship isn't as strong or as well-crafted as the relationship between Nick and Kenny, but it is still a solid one.

It's also noteworthy that we never see Nick's wife or the woman's husband anywhere in the film. We don't need to, though. The plot works fine without them, and I believe that if we saw Nick's wife in the film we'd get too many arguments between the two which may result in (a) believability being low and (b) a possibility for Ferrell's comedy side to sneak in. We don't need comedy here. We get it, but in tiny, miniscule doses. There is almost nothing funny about this situation.

Once again, this proves that Will Ferrell is a great character actor, and doesn't have to get drunk, shout his lines, or get in goofy fights to be successful. Unfortunately, Everything Must Go's overall performance wasn't impressive, and it may be a long time before Ferrell does something like this ever again.

Not everything here is perfect. The worst flaw is the ending because there is no emotional payoff, and nothing to make our experience anymore than just enjoyable. I wanted more than enjoyable. I haven't read the short story "Why Don't You Dance?" by Raymond Carver, so I'm not sure of any similarities both this and the story share. Everything Must Go is a good film in general, but a great film in terms of Ferrell, who is essentially putting on a one-man-show for more than half the film.

Starring: Will Ferrell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Laura Dern, and Michael Pena. Directed by: Dan Rush.

I had expected this to be yet another of those mass-produced comedies that Will Ferrell tends to spew out. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I sat down to watch "Everything Must Go" (aka "Neighbor For Sale").

Why? Well, because it wasn't your average run-of-the-mill comedies that Will Ferrell usually put outs. This movie really put his acting talents to the test, and Will Ferrell rose to the occasion and delivered a great performance and made this movie turn out rather nice.

The story is about Nick Halsey (played by Will Ferrell) who gets fired from his job, after a series of unfortunate events which mostly included alcohol, only to come home to find that his wife has thrown him out, put his stuff out on the front lawn, and changed all the locks to their home. Unable to come to terms with these events, Nick settles down in the front lawn, making the best of a bad situation. But as reality sinks in, Nick comes to realize that things must change, and he strikes up a partnership with a young boy in the neighborhood to look after his stuff while Nick tidies up loose ends in his life.

Actually, the story told in this movie was rather interesting and quite captivating. What makes it work so nicely is the acting performances put on by the various actors and actresses throughout the movie, along with the colorful characters and good dialogue.

"Everything Must Go" is not an average comedy, as there isn't all that many laughs to be had in the movie, but this is more the likes of a comedy that sinks in and sticks with you, especially given the absurd storyline and the realism there is to it.

I highly recommend that you watch "Everything Must Go", because Will Ferrell is nothing short of spectacular in this movie. And the story is entertaining and enjoyable.

Thumbs way up for this movie.

¨Do you know what the rate of success is for marriage when one person sobers up, but the other one doesn't?¨

Will Ferrell stars in this fantastic comedy slash drama, but this isn't the typical Ferrell comedy where we see him screaming all over the screen. This time he plays a quiet and sad alcoholic, and it's perhaps one of his best performances to date. Everything Must Go was a really pleasant surprise for me; it reminded me a lot of 2008's film The Visitor starring Richard Jenkins. Will Ferrell gives a very similar and quiet performance. Nothing really happens in the movie, but it's the relationship between the characters that carries the film to a higher ground. This is Dan Rush's first film as a director, and he really hits a home run with his debut film. He also adapted the screenplay from Raymond Carver's short story ¨Why Don't You Dance.¨ The dialogue in this movie is just great, and it really feels authentic. The actors also do a great job with the pauses; everything about this movie makes it fresh. The film is rather slow paced and focuses more on the drama and interactions between characters who end up bonding in unexpected ways. It also has very funny moments; although not the laugh out loud kind of humor, but more of a put a grind on your face kind of comedy. I didn't know Ferrell had it in him to give a performance of this caliber without relying on his usual loud mouth role. This is the sort of guy we can identify with, and whose life seems to be unraveling right in front of us. So much potential gone down the drain due to a small mistake.

Will Ferrell plays a Sales Executive named Nick Halsey who at the beginning of the film is being fired from his job due to his problems with alcohol. He was a great worker, and seemed to be recovering from his drinking problem, but recently had a relapse when he traveled to Denver and decided to have a few drinks to celebrate an important sale. Word got out to the office in Arizona and they decided it was time to let Nick go. Without a job, now Nick arrives home only to discover that all his things are laying in the front yard of his house and his wife has changed the locks of the doors. Apparently in Denver he also slept with another woman and now his wife has kicked him out of the house. Nick decides to stay in his front yard sitting on his reclining chair and has no intention of moving out. Someone makes a complain and the police come to arrest him for disturbing the peace in the neighborhood, but his friend, Detective Frank Garcia (Michael Peña), gets him a permit to stay in his front lawn for five days with the excuse that he is having a garage sale. During these days he befriends a young boy named Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace) who practically spends all day on his own. Nick hires him to help out with the sale and during that time they become friends. Nick teaches Kenny a thing or two about baseball. A new neighbor also has recently moved in the house in front of Nick's; she introduces herself as Samantha (Rebecca Hall) and says she's expecting a baby girl in a couple of months. Nick opens up to her about his problems and they being an interesting friendship.

Everything Must Go is a really interesting small film that will surely put a smile on your face as we see these authentic interactions between characters that probably under normal circumstances never would've befriended each other. The thing I enjoyed the most about this film was the realistic way in which each of these characters was portrayed; and the way the actors played them. Will Ferrell, Christopher Wallace, and Rebecca Hall (who I first came to love in Ben Affleck's flick The Town) all give great performances and the success of the film relies entirely on them. The movie isn't deep, it doesn't try to be preachy either; it just focuses on these small relationships and lets us now that it's never too late to start again. Will Ferrell should continue to accept interesting projects like this so he can prove that he is more than a one dimensional actor. I love his comedies, like Talladega Nights and Ron Burgundy, but it is great to see him in different roles as well proving he can be a serious actor as well. Director, Dan Rush took a huge risk by giving him the lead role, but the gamble paid off because he fit the role perfectly. This is a different kind of film, but I absolutely recommend it. I loved it.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

This movie made me think about the primacy of things that we deem so important, and relations that we often take for granted.

Are we merely living to generate assets and maintain relations? Do we have the liberty to point at someone and say, "He is not normal!"? Are we living with compassion or do we get frustrated over little things? Do we have enough patience to listen to our loved ones? When everything is lost and we are left with nothing, is it really the end of it?

Watch this movie and you may be able to answer these for yourself.

"Making friends is not always easy, but the ones that you have, make sure that you can trust them with your heart." "Maintaining relations requires revisions; so make the things straight as many times as it is required." "Understand the difference between giving up and letting go!"