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The Upside of Anger
Apr. 2nd, 2005 11:57 pmOkay, so sue me. I don't have the 'net set up at the new place yet.
Backdating for Saturday...
Which of course, at this point, I can't really remember. I mean, I remember random elements of the day, like that I stayed at my grandmother's house again, rather than sleeping at the new condo. I wrote pretty late and so got up late, but had plenty of time to make it to The Upside of Anger, with my father.
Very decent film, about a middle-aged woman (Joan Allen), flirting with alcoholism as she wrestles with her husband's sudden disappearance from her life (all signs point to Sweden and his Swedish secretary), and the lives of her four teenage and college age daughters. Keven Costner plays the washed-up professional baseball player who gradually falls in love with her, and her family.
It's one of those movies that's sort of hard to write a synopsis for and make the recommendation appealing, because there are so many movies (we've seen many of them) that have similar synopses and are deadly dull, or overly dramatic, or annoying, or just clunky from a lack of craft. But Upside is none of those things. It's brilliantly written, and brilliantly acted. Characters live and interact organically. Situations, even the twists, seem natural and plausible. You spend a few hours living with these people, and it's an interesting few hours even though they aren't particularly extraordinary.
But the most amazing part of this film is a subtle high wire stunt, because the lead, Joan Allen's character, isn't accessibly likable, to coin a phrase. She isn't spunky, or strong, or very sweet and tender, she's pissed at her current situation, and shows it. Her anger at her husband spills over to her daughters (sometimes for good reason, sometimes not), and in turn spills back on her. Sometimes she does the wrong thing. A lot of the time she does the wrong thing. But I probably would, too, as would you. As would, and do, people we know. Hell she knows she's doing the wrong thing, because she has sense of humor enough to have some perspective on herself and the situation. And that somehow, strangely, makes her likable. That the character is human enough to be perpetually grouchy rather than...whatever Hollywood would normally have her be, is endearing and intriguing.
I don't want to say anymore. Just go see it.
And sadly enough, I don't remember much else. I think I did something with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bongirl5, but maybe not because she was feeling pretty sick. I headed back to the new condo to do some unpacking, then laid down on my bed and was simply too lazy to get up again to drive home for dinner or even to update LJ.
Fascinating day, I know.
Backdating for Saturday...
Which of course, at this point, I can't really remember. I mean, I remember random elements of the day, like that I stayed at my grandmother's house again, rather than sleeping at the new condo. I wrote pretty late and so got up late, but had plenty of time to make it to The Upside of Anger, with my father.
Very decent film, about a middle-aged woman (Joan Allen), flirting with alcoholism as she wrestles with her husband's sudden disappearance from her life (all signs point to Sweden and his Swedish secretary), and the lives of her four teenage and college age daughters. Keven Costner plays the washed-up professional baseball player who gradually falls in love with her, and her family.
It's one of those movies that's sort of hard to write a synopsis for and make the recommendation appealing, because there are so many movies (we've seen many of them) that have similar synopses and are deadly dull, or overly dramatic, or annoying, or just clunky from a lack of craft. But Upside is none of those things. It's brilliantly written, and brilliantly acted. Characters live and interact organically. Situations, even the twists, seem natural and plausible. You spend a few hours living with these people, and it's an interesting few hours even though they aren't particularly extraordinary.
But the most amazing part of this film is a subtle high wire stunt, because the lead, Joan Allen's character, isn't accessibly likable, to coin a phrase. She isn't spunky, or strong, or very sweet and tender, she's pissed at her current situation, and shows it. Her anger at her husband spills over to her daughters (sometimes for good reason, sometimes not), and in turn spills back on her. Sometimes she does the wrong thing. A lot of the time she does the wrong thing. But I probably would, too, as would you. As would, and do, people we know. Hell she knows she's doing the wrong thing, because she has sense of humor enough to have some perspective on herself and the situation. And that somehow, strangely, makes her likable. That the character is human enough to be perpetually grouchy rather than...whatever Hollywood would normally have her be, is endearing and intriguing.
I don't want to say anymore. Just go see it.
And sadly enough, I don't remember much else. I think I did something with
bongirl5, but maybe not because she was feeling pretty sick. I headed back to the new condo to do some unpacking, then laid down on my bed and was simply too lazy to get up again to drive home for dinner or even to update LJ.Fascinating day, I know.
