Preview: Everybody's Fine (2009)

Synopsis:

Having had his holiday plans cancelled by his three children, a father embarks on a journey to visit each of his offspring and find out why they didn't come and perhaps understand a little more about the lives they have been living.

• Poster: C-

Review:

This is your typical holiday film and thus the poster must be entirely typical. The cast on a white background with festive decorations in the background. The camera motif may be new, but it's not terribly exciting.

• Trailer: C

Review:

Robert De Nir glides through the film as if he's done the role before and he probably has, though with a little more vinegar in the past. Tempering his crusty exterior from the Meet the Parents films, the film seems woefully underprepared and unnecessarily gimmicky as if they jettisoned all of the interesting elements from About Schmidt and kept the rest.

Oscar Prospects:

Earlier this year, it seemed like this might be the chance for Robert De Niro to get another Oscar nomination, following the style of Diane Keaton, but this seems more akin to the poor attempts at Oscar nominations that Susan Sarandon and and Shirley MacLaine have done in recent years (Moonlight Mile and In Her Shoes respectively.

Release Date:

• December 4, 2009

Full Review Synopsis:

I have not seen this film.

-Wesley Lovell (October 25, 2009) Original