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Movies / Upcoming / The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger

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The Upside of Anger (2005)

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Reviews Counted:167

Fresh:122

Rotten:45

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: A comedy/ drama for grown-ups, with fine performances by Joan Allen and Kevin Costner.

Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $18,742,061

Synopsis: Starring Joan Allen, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER spans three years of a woman's life following her husband's sudden disappearance. Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen), an affluent suburban Detroit wife and mother,... Starring Joan Allen, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER spans three years of a woman's life following her husband's sudden disappearance. Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen), an affluent suburban Detroit wife and mother, goes from a paragon of sweetness to a volcano of rage in the wake of her husband's desertion; she thinks he has jetted off to Sweden with his Swedish secretary. Barely holding it together for her four daughters (distinctively played by Alicia Witt, Keri Russell, Erika Christensen, and Evan Rachel Wood), Terry fitfully adjusts while befriending Denny Davies (Costner), a retired baseball player and radio personality up the street who shares her love of the all-day cocktail hour. Allen is a delightful force, displaying serious comedic talent and effortlessly stealing each scene. She glows with an unaffected sexiness, while Costner shines as the seemingly all-wrong man who turns out to be completely right. Writer-director Mike Binder casts a keenly perceptive eye on male-female relationships, a topic he also explored in his critically-acclaimed HBO series THE MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN. Binder also appears in a role as Denny's producer Shep, a shallow womanizer with surprisingly resonant reasons for being shallow. As the three years pass, Terry and her daughters are confronted with varying individual situations, choices, and compromises, with moments that ring true in ways both moving and strikingly funny. THE UPSIDE OF ANGER is an ideal combination of drama and humor. [More]

Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Alicia Witt

Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, Mike Binder

Director: Mike Binder

Director: Mike Binder
Producer: Alex Gartner, Jack Binder, Sammy Lee
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Studio: New Line Cinema

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Reviews for The Upside of Anger

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
05/13/05
Sydney Morning Herald
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N/R

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Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
05/18/05
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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There are a few loose subplots in Mike Binder's film, but that only adds to the sense of its real-life charm. You'll be upset if you miss it.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
03/11/05
E! Online
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/02/05
Boston Phoenix
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Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
05/14/05
Dallas Morning News
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N/R

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Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
07/05/05
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
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N/R

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Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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The final twist is misjudged, and it doesn't cohere at any level; but some funny moments.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
05/04/07
Independent
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The upside of Mike Binder's deeply flawed attempt to marry midlife romantic comedy with domestic farce is two nearly perfect performances by Joan Allen and Kevin Costner.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/10/05
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
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[L]ike Leaving Las Vegas, The Upside of Anger provides a galvanizing turn for its star--a daring alloy of pungent misery and jaw-dropping antics.

Full Review Source: Blogcritics.org | comment Comment
04/25/05
Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Blogcritics.org

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Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/17/05
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Despite the xeroxed plot and a horribly misguided ending ... nearly redeemed by a cast that wrings out every last bit of potential from the formula.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
03/17/05
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

It feels like a retread of several better movies, with a nastier, more bitter edge.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
03/18/05
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
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While beautifully cast and acted, this focuses on its comic strengths to the detriment of the drama, creating an unbalanced tone and leading to self-conscious attempts at serious observation. A pleasant watch, but nowhere near as profound as it thinks it

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/04/07
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Channel 4 Film

Unfortunately, despite predictably fine performances all around, the overall effect of the film is hampered by poor directorial execution and an act-three plot twist that defies plausibility.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
03/18/05
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine
N/R

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Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
05/21/05
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for The Upside of Anger

June 08, 2006: Sandler to Star in 9/11 Drama
Big-screen comedian Adam Sandler is going to get a little more serious for his next role. He'll be starring in Mike Binder's 9/11 drama "Empty City," along with Don... More...

February 21, 2006: Actress Trio Joins Sandler's "Reign"
Actresses Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, and Jada Pinkett-Smith will be joining Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle in "Reign O'er Me," a post-9/11 drama from "Upside of... More...

January 11, 2006: Chicago Critics Pick Their 2005 Winners (and Iowa!)
The Chicago Film Critics Group announced their nominees just before New Years' Eve, and they reconvened this week to vote on their year-end favorites. Also, the Iowa Film... More...

January 10, 2006: Online Film Critics Offer Their Annual Nominations
The OFCS, which is hosted right here at Rotten Tomatoes and (full disclosure) includes yours truly as a member, announced their year-end nominations yesterday ... and we hope... More...

See All

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