The Upside of Anger
In Mike Binder's starring vehicle for Joan Allen, whom he starred
with in The Contender, a middle-aged housewife distraught over her
husband abandoning her and their four teenage daughters relies on
alcohol and passive aggressive rage to get through the day. Her
children have had to put their lives on hold to play Mom to their Mom.
Until she strikes up a friendship with a neighbor—an ex-big league
ballplayer—and she starts to repair her familial relationships as well
as her own psyche. It's a powerhouse performance for the woefully
underrated Allen, but too often the script diverts attention away from
her to secondary characters and circumstances which didn't need such
specific focus to tie back into her story.
- June 9, 2009
DVD Extras
Some deleted scenes of Allen having alcohol-induced visions which Bender was wise to leave out; cast and crew interviews.