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

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, 23 March 2007

Gross USA:

$19,661,987

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,418,543

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some interior scenes were filmed in Del Rio Diner on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, New York. The diner shut down for two weeks and installed flat screen televisions for the production.

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Goofs

When Charlie is walking towards the water after the court hearing, Alan's car door is still open. Once they change camera angles, the door is closed.

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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

References High Anxiety (1977)

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Soundtracks

The Birds of St. Marks
Written and Performed by Jackson Browne
Courtesy of Inside Recordings

User Reviews

Powerful when it's being original

I just got back from a screening a couple of hours ago, and I was very happy with the movie when I left it. It's very intense, and the closest I've come to crying in a movie in quite some time. That is a credit to Adam Sandler, who delivers a magnificent performance on many levels, and who probably deserves an Oscar nom for it, were it not coming out so early in the year. Don Cheadle gives his usual superb performance playing the straight man to Adam's disturbed.

There is some humor, but most of it is really only funny in comparison to the tearjerking moments, as Adam deals with his loss and Don struggles to help him. Adam plays two levels very well... when he is mentally stable he is funny and likable, but when he is, well, less stable he's powerful and dark.

I recommend it for anyone who likes intense mental dramas about difficult friendship and loss.