Everybody's Fine (2009)

A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children.

Director:

Kirk Jones

Writers:

Kirk Jones, Giuseppe Tornatore (original screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Frank Goode
Drew Barrymore	...	Rosie
Kate Beckinsale	...	Amy
Sam Rockwell	...	Robert
Lucian Maisel	...	Jack
Damian Young	...	Jeff
James Frain	...	Tom
Melissa Leo	...	Colleen
Katherine Moennig	...	Jilly
Brendan Sexton III	...	Mugger
James Murtaugh	...	Dr. Ed
Austin Lysy	...	David
Chandler Frantz	...	Young David
Lily Mo Sheen	...	Young Amy (as Lily Sheen)
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick	...	Young Robert

Storyline

Frank Goode lives by himself in Elmira, NY, a recent widower with heart trouble, retired from a factory job, proud of having pushed his adult children toward success. In the summer, all four kids bail on a reunion, so, against doctor's orders, Frank decides to surprise each with a visit. He sets out to see his artist son in New York City, his daughter the ad exec in Chicago, his son the conductor on tour and presently in Denver, and his daughter who's a performer in Vegas. None are as he imagines or hopes. Will they let him see themselves as they are, and can this dad adapt?

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Plot Keywords:

parental love | retirement | train ride | bus trip | surprise visit | 

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Taglines:

Frank wanted the holidays to be picture perfect. What he got was family.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming took place in Connecticut and New York City, including several scenes filmed at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

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Goofs

When Frank is visiting his daughter in her fancy office, two guys from Marketing appear to pitch some new advertising campaign. During the pitch camera view switches repeatedly between front and rear. In front view the short guy holds his belt buckle with both hands, in rear view however his hands are hanging down or are at his back.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Butcher: You Keeping busy?
Frank Goode: Yeah, I've been busy.
Butcher: Busy doin' what?
Frank Goode: Busy in the garden.
Butcher: [wryly] In the garden, you know what, you're missing work, that's what, I can see that.
Frank Goode: No I'm not missing work.
Butcher: Yeah, you miss the buzz and the jokes and the guys, I know that, don't tell me that's not true.

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Crazy Credits

The photographs Frank took during his journey are shown alongside the end credits.

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Connections

References E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Soundtracks

Come Home
Written by Carl Alty, Findlay Brown (as Ron Brown Findlay)
Performed by Findlay Brown
Courtesy of Peacefrog Holdings Ltd.

User Reviews

A brilliant performance by a great actor.

How many times have you ever asked, or ever were asked the question: How are things? Invariably, one replies, "everything is fine," except of course it's not true. The response is a polite brush-off. This movie is about how a man decides not to accept the brush-off, this time coming from his own children and as a result makes some interesting discoveries. This movie contains Robert DeNiro's strongest role in years. The entire story revolves around his character and he really brings the character to life. A brilliant performance by a great actor. This movie is like Robert Young in Father-Knows-Best deciding to really connect with his children after years of just being around. What's even better is that the movie avoids becoming trite and effectively brings the audience into this family's world as the story explores themes that are relevant to all families. Children grow up, leave the home, go their separate ways, leaving behind memories. A wonderful movie.

Ah, platitudes. We're all guilty of using them. They're a polite way of telling someone to buzz off, that you don't want to talk to them, that they are unworthy of your time. This movie is all about platitudes, most cruelly applied when it's least needed or wanted. In this movie a man wants to initiate communication with his children, all of whom are adults and have long since left the home, and he and his children go through a lot of changes as they attempt to bridge the gulf that separates them. This doesn't mean the children don't care about their father, they do. But the emotional closeness was never there and this is what this movie is about: breaking down barriers to establish an emotional connection. This movie is a Robert DeNiro vehicle. It is his re-emergence onto the Hollywood scene after years of cinematic oblivion. His performance is a tour de force; he deserves at least an Academy Award nomination for best actor. He carries the movie. Drew Barrymore also gives an impressive performance as one of Mr. DeNiro's daughters. Ms. Barrymore shines on the screen and proves once again that she is one of the premiere actresses in Hollywood. Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsdale also are excellent. What a great movie! Never cold-shoulder your father.

This is the best Robert DeNiro movie in years. His strong acting carries this sentimental story about a man trying to reconnect with his children. The movie places a strong emphasis on family relationships and does an excellent job in engaging and keeping the audience's attention as Mr. DeNiro's character embarks on an odyssey of emotional discovery. At times the story verges on becoming openly maudlin but succeeds in avoiding that pitfall. The movie also avoids becoming hokey and corny and succeeds in staying on course as the DeNiro character continues on his journey. All in all, this is a wonderful movie featuring a strong performance by Robert DeNiro. After watching this movie, you will think twice before telling someone "everybody's fine" unless you mean it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Licensor (worldwide)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Everybody's Fine

Filming Locations:

Skokie, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,852,068, 6 December 2009

Gross USA:

$9,208,876

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,443,609

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Radar Pictures, Hollywood Gang Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1