I talk a lot about expectations and how they play into our opinions of the movies we see – overhyping making you think a film is worse than it might be, the collective trashing of a film leading you to believe that all those numbskulls were off their rocker – The Happening wasn’t that bad (yes it was). But what happens when you go into a film not with a collected set of feelings towards the movie you’re about to see, but expecting some thing to happen – a definable trait, a particular mode of acting, an action (or collection of actions) that you’ve been trained to be ready for over the course of several films?
Such is the case with Everything Must Go. Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey – quasi-successful salesman, husband, homeowner…and alcoholic. We learn early on that Nick’s had a rough patch lately, culminating in the situation that drives the film: he arrives home from work one day to find the baggage in his life right out there for all his neighbors to see. Literally – all of his belongings have been tossed into his front yard by his exasperated wife; she’s had it with him, dumping his stuff on the lawn, changing the locks and ditching that popcorn stand with not so much as a Dear, John letter tacked to the front door.
How Nick actually proceeds to deal with the blows his behavior has dealt him is the crux of the drama, but there’s that thing always waiting, lurking, hanging in the balance and in the back of your mind. While the plot is set up rather quickly, so is the tone – we know fairly early on that this is not Step Brothers or Wedding Crashers. This is a serious film with serious acting and serious consequences; perhaps not on the Leaving Las Vegas variety, but not far from there, either. But while I commend Ferrell for taking the role – we do love it when our clowns take off their makeup and put on the sad mask, after all – I couldn’t shake this feeling of anticipation the whole time. I was waiting…and waiting…for Drunk Will Ferrell to show up. You know the guy – Frank the Tank! Running down the street naked! Shot with a horse tranquilizer, stumbling around a child’s birthday party! The fun guy – that man childliest of man children.
But, of course, Frank never shows up. He and his good-time happy drunk cinematic cousins are nowhere to be found, because Everything Must Go isn’t about the good times. It’s about the path of destruction that being an alcoholic can bring, and the relief effort embodied by second chances. Nick has to chip away at his life brick-by-brick before coming to his moment of clarity – to see the patterns of not only his own behavior but those established before he was born.
Whether or not you sympathize or antipathize with Nick and his situation will likely factor heavily into your interpretation of Everything Must Go. First-time feature director Dan Rush has made a fairly straightforward message movie about second (and third and fourth) chances, so if you find your patience for alcoholics running thin on the day you watch it, you’ll likely not care what happens to Nick so long as people like him stay away from you. But as up front as the film can be about its intentions, I can’t deny that it’s an appealing character study with a meandering, dreamlike quality to the proceedings that gives you the impression that you don’t know where it’s going, even if you’re pretty sure you do.
♥♥♥1/2
Bonus! Everything Must Go was filmed practically in my backyard here in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the vast majority of the action taking place on a neighborhood street, with the exterior of two houses (Nick’s and that of Rebecca Hall’s character) being the main locations. So, after seeing it, I did some investigative work, found out where they were and had to drive by and take some pics.
Andrew (8)
Wayne (8)
John (6)
Josh (6)
Jessica (5)
Justin (5)
Lauren (5)
Steve (5)
Dave Enkosky (4)
Sir Phobos (4)
Twitter: samfragoso
June 1, 2011 11:54 pm
I loved the film. Probably the best thing I’ve seen this year.
Nice review.
Very cool pictures.
Twitter: manilovefilms
June 2, 2011 10:34 am
Thanks, Sam.
Can’t say I liked it that much, but it’s a solid film with a trio of nice performances. Throw in the local connection and it’ll be a movie I remember, for sure.
“Can’t say I liked it that much” and you give it 3½ hearts?!?
That feels quite high to follow up a statement like that. Isn’t you guys full score 4 hearts?
Twitter: manilovefilms
June 2, 2011 11:12 am
I thought that might have been worded poorly. Sorry about that. My statement was in response to Sam’s “I loved the film. Probably the best thing I’ve seen this year.” I enjoyed Everything Must Go, just not quite to that extent.
Oh, and our rating is out of 5 hearts.
Twitter: kaiderman
June 2, 2011 8:06 pm
5 hearts!
Nice review I like the homegrown perspective!
I may actually have to check this one out since I hate Ferrell when doing his normal routine and this doesn’t seem to be that.
Ferrell could actually have been a good pick/substitute for the Brad Pitt bash you commented on… hahah
Twitter: manilovefilms
June 2, 2011 11:14 am
Yes, if you’re looking for another side of Ferrell, this would certainly be a good place to start.
Well, I’m positive you’re not alone on not having a taste for Ferrell. He and Sandler are pretty polarizing. I wonder, though – do you generally have an aversion to American humor? Not accusing you, but just going off of what I know of the international film market, specifically that comedies don’t travel well…
These days good comedies are rare as an oasis in a desert. Its a great question you bring up.
I actually like Sandler, 50 first dates is brilliant, Happy Gilmore is great in a cartoonish way and Anger Managment is a lot better than people give it credit for.
I know he has a similar approach as Ferrell but Sandler do pull it of better if you ask me. Ferrell just annoys me!
I’m also a fan of Jim Carrey’s early comedic work, Ace Ventura, The Mask etc.
When it comes to modern stuff like the Hangover and Zach and Miri makes a porno I find them very over-rated.
In my opinion comedies is the genre that is most domestic of all genres being dependent on cultural preferences. For instance we have had some massive Swedish success comedies (Göta Kanal, Sällskapsresan 1-3, Jönssonligan) but they have never been able to travel outside of Scandinavia.
Twitter: waywardjam
June 9, 2011 1:21 pm
I’ve seen several folks upset that Will wasn’t funny in this. I knew this would be another stretch into serious for him and was pleased by the role.
I don’t understand why so many folks find it hard to let actors, especially comedic actors, shift into a different genre. People love it when Tom Cruise slaps on makeup and parades around as Les Grossman, but let Robin Williams play a perv in One Hour Photo or Ferrell play an alcoholic and it’s boo to them. Cheap double standards, I tells ya!
I really enjoyed Everything Must Go, Ferrell did fine work as did Rebecca Hall. I totally sympathized with him, but at the same time couldn’t help but blame him for his predicament, and I think that’s part of what you should take away from the movie. Since you don’t have the whole story, you have to take things as they come, kind of like he does. A solid, less-is-more style of storytelling.