Reign Over Me (2007)

A man who lost his family in the September 11 attack on New York City runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief.

Director:

Mike Binder

Writer:

Mike Binder

Stars:

Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Sandler	...	Charlie Fineman
Don Cheadle	...	Alan Johnson
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Janeane Johnson
Liv Tyler	...	Angela Oakhurst
Saffron Burrows	...	Donna Remar
Donald Sutherland	...	Judge Raines
Robert Klein	...	Jonathan Timpleman
Melinda Dillon	...	Ginger Timpleman
Mike Binder	...	Bryan Sugarman
Jonathan Banks	...	Stelter
Rae Allen	...	Adell Modell
Paula Newsome	...	Melanie
John de Lancie	...	Nigel Pennington
Paul Butler	...	George Johnson
Camille LaChe Smith	...	Cherie Johnson (as Camille LaChe-Smith)

Storyline

Alan Johnson has everything he needs to get through life: a good job, a beautiful and loving wife, and their wonderful children. Yet he feels isolated because he finds having a hard-working job and managing a family too much to handle and has no one to talk to about it. Charlie Fineman, on the other hand, doesn't have a job or a family. He used to have both until a terrible loss, and the grief caused him to quit his job and isolate himself from everyone around him. As it turns out, Alan and Charlie were roommates in college, and a chance encounter one night rekindles the friendship they shared. But when Charlie's problems become too much to deal with, Alan is determined to help Charlie come out of his emotional abyss.

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Plot Keywords:

grief | mental breakdown | depression | post september 11 2001 | attempted suicide by cop | 

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Taglines:

Live every day like it's the best day of your life.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual references

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mike Binder wrote the lead role with Tom Cruise in mind, who turned it down.

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Goofs

In the scene where Dr. Johnson first meets Charlie on the street, the cars behind Charlie vary from shot to shot. In some there is a big white truck to the left and a car with flashing lights on the left. In other shots, there are only a couple of dark cars parked there

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Quotes

[first lines]
Melanie: New patient?
New Dental Patient: Yes, I was referred by my lawyer about veneers.
[big grin]
Melanie: You're a new patient, that's all I need to know. Fill this out so we know who to contact in case we loose you in the chair.
New Dental Patient: [speechless]
Melanie: That was a joke, sweetie, I was being funny.
[abruptly slides the window closed]

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Alternate Versions

A scene removed from the UK version of the film is the montage of scenes with Angela Oakhurst (Liv Tyler) consoling Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) with the original version of 'Love, Reign o'er me' playing in the background.

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Connections

Features Shadow of the Colossus (2005)

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Soundtracks

Out in the Street
Written and Performed by Bruce Springsteen
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

User Reviews

One of my personal favorites.

I'm a big fan of The Who and when I heard there was a movie with the title of my favorite song from my favorite band, I went nuts. And when I heard the main protagonist is Adam Sandler, I got disappointed. But then again, I remembered he played a very dramatic moment in the climax of "Click". I used to think Sandler wasn't made for acting, but I've never been so wrong in my life. He played the sh*t out of his roll in "Reign Over Me".

The soundtrack is outstanding as always in all of Sandler's films. I swear Sandler and I have the exact same taste in music. His performance throughout the movie was top notch, even his humor was present, but the monologue in which Sandler's character tells his story was just sublime.

The plot and the character development was excellent. Though, the ending left a lot to be desired.

Overall, this movie was brilliant. Mike Binder, the writer/director of the film, I tip my hat to you.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 March 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Empty City

Filming Locations:

Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,460,690, 25 March 2007

Gross USA:

$19,661,987

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,242,388

Company Credits

Production Co:

Relativity Media, Madison 23, Sunlight Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1