The Upside of Anger

May 4 2007 By The Journal

"Anger has turned my mother into a very sad and bitter woman. If she wasn't my mother, I'd slap her. I really would."

The wry yet painfully honest opening words of teenager Popeye Wolfmeyer (Evan Rachel Wood) welcome us to the suburban hell of writer-director Mike Binder's beautifully observed portrait of a family in crisis.

Joan Allen delivers another scintillating turn as a mother seeking answers in the bottom of a vodka bottle but it's Kevin Costner who impresses most, reminding us of his abilities to get beneath the skin of the dysfunctional all-American hero.

Suburban mom Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen) reacts to the disappearance of her husband by drowning her sorrows in liquor.

Failing to connect with her four daughters, she finds an unlikely confidant and drinking partner in her neighbour, one-time star baseball pitcher turned radio show host Denny Davies (Costner).

In their alcohol-fuelled haze, the lonely singletons try to put their cluttered lives in order.

And Denny offers Terry his expert opinion on a broken heart.

When the truth about Terry's husband is revealed, the Wolfmeyer clan is finally able to heal its wounds and look forward to a brighter future.

The verdict: The Upside Of Anger is a treat, written with great affection for family members trapped in a cycle of misery of their own creation.

The ensemble cast relishes the choice dialogue of their colourful and eccentric supporting characters.