RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Upside of Anger (2005)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
73 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • The Upside of Anger Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Upside of Anger

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
161 - 180 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A fresh, funny, pointed comedy

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
03/10/05
Arthur Lazere
Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net

A squarely suburban movie with a distinctly bourgeois-shaped window on the world, but it's genuine and exceptionally well observed.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
03/10/05
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Upside of Anger is the upside of Allen.

Full Review Source: NPR's Fresh Air | comment Comment
03/10/05
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
NPR's Fresh Air

Offers a lot of smart dialogue and six nicely developed characters.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
03/10/05
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

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
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An emotional reality check that is profound, laugh-out-loud funny, articulate and shattering.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
03/10/05
Rex Reed
Rex Reed
New York Observer

The film is carried by Costner and Allen, who project a chemistry so incrementally built on reluctant camaraderie, they almost seem like siblings.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
03/10/05
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

Ms. Wood does her best with the material, as do Allen and Costner. It takes more than good acting to make a good movie, though. Good writing helps, and there's not enough of that here.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
03/10/05
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

The movies haven't rewarded Allen's formidable talent with a star turn that cuts her loose and unfurls her resources. Until now.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
03/10/05
Gene Seymour
Gene Seymour
Newsday

The mixture of sitcom and soap opera that worked in 'Terms of Endearment' feels stale here, especially since the final-reel revelation is more cheat than treat.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
03/10/05
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

Brilliant! I can't wait to see it again!

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
03/09/05
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

Costner and Allen show you what it means not just to play a role but to inhabit it.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
03/09/05
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly

A few great moments wedged into a fairly bland film.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
03/07/05
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

The film has exhausted itself with fits of glib hysteria long before its truly stupefying final twist, a stunning betrayal of audience trust.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
03/07/05
Jessica Winter
Jessica Winter
Village Voice

Costner's funny and sincere in a role that winks at his many previous baseball movies. And Joan Allen brings home the kind of performance that wins awards.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
03/07/05
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A terrific performance by Joan Allen as one who is angry for the wrong reasons.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
03/05/05
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

An engrossing and well-acted psychodrama about the toxic side-effects of anger, a potent and volatile emotion.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/05/05
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

A poignant. bittersweet, exquisitely evocative movie that packs an emotional wallop. It's richly touching without being sentimental.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
02/22/05
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
Modamag.com

Playing a drunken, bitter matriarch, Joan Allen gives such an astounding performance in The Upside of Anger that she elevates the film above its melodramatic trappings

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
02/03/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A fiercely funny human comedy with jokes that sting and leave marks.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
01/27/05
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
 
 
161 - 180 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
all

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

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

71% 71% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
77% 77% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Ban Them All!

Ban Them All!

10 Most Controversial Movies

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
54
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
128
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
181
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
92
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
81
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
81
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
70
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
45
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
22
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
18
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Total Recall: Children's Book Adaptations
3
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
21
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Upside of Anger at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Upside of Anger at IGN
  • The Upside of Anger at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.