The movie Everybody's Fine, released last Friday, is bittersweet for the holiday season.
Robert De Niro stars as Frank Goode, a recent widower who is trying to reconnect with his children. When he invites all of four of his children home for the weekend, each one of them turns around and cancels.
Frank decides he will travel to his kids if they will not come to him. So he begins a trip from New York to Las Vegas to see the four of them, who are all hiding a secret.
The trailers for the movie lead viewers to believe that the movie is a holiday comedy. The film is actually about children - including stars Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell - who have been keeping secrets from their father in an attempt to not let him down. Their father's expectations, however, have overwhelmed them.
I am not a big fan of how the film brings forth these secrets, though.
Throughout the movie, the viewer is left in the dark, not knowing the big secret, but little details come a little at a time. The way the film progresses leaves the viewer not so much in exciting suspense, but more annoyed, as it is difficult to understand what is going on.
Though the film is misrepresented, it turns out to be a pleasant surprise. It is a good, textbook film about everyday struggles a family goes through and being OK with who you are. My only criticism is to not wait till the very end to bring everything out. Vewers should not spend majority of the movie confused and waiting.
3 Culture
Alisa Caton
