There is a very good film that stars a Hollywood legend playing against type as a retired widower taking a road trip, along the way facing issues about his own life and those of his relationship with his offspring. 'About Schmidt' is that film's name and it is wonderful. This film is NOT that film.
While 'Everybody's Fine' follows a very similar premise, unfortunately it doesn't share anywhere near the same quality of theme, character, performances or dialogue as Alexander Payne's vastly superior film. This effort is tentative at best in its character and plot set up - the reasoning behind why the kids are so distant with their father is only barely convincing as De Nero's Frank Goode actually seems like a fairly normal kind of guy, as oppose to the fastidious, over-bearing patriarch suggested by his off spring. My main problem with the film is its over sentimentality in the final third of the film. The director cranks up the melodrama with weepy strings on the score and some awful examples of expositional dialogue making abso-bloody-lutely sure we have no doubt what EVERYONE and EVERYTHING means, with ill-advised voice overs, dream sequences and only the very happiest of endings on offer, which is in itself deeply unbelievable as anyone with a dysfunctional family knows, you cannot un-do a lifetime of bad feeling with a few Christmas lights and a well-cooked turkey. The fact that lots of these reviewers are calling De Nero's performance here the best for 15 or 20 years really just shows how far he has fallen from his truly great performances in the 70's and 80's. Soppy over explained but undercooked melodrama that really should've been better considering the wealth of acting talent available.
While 'Everybody's Fine' follows a very similar premise, unfortunately it doesn't share anywhere near the same quality of theme, character, performances or dialogue as Alexander Payne's vastly superior film. This effort is tentative at best in its character and plot set up - the reasoning behind why the kids are so distant with their father is only barely convincing as De Nero's Frank Goode actually seems like a fairly normal kind of guy, as oppose to the fastidious, over-bearing patriarch suggested by his off spring. My main problem with the film is its over sentimentality in the final third of the film. The director cranks up the melodrama with weepy strings on the score and some awful examples of expositional dialogue making abso-bloody-lutely sure we have no doubt what EVERYONE and EVERYTHING means, with ill-advised voice overs, dream sequences and only the very happiest of endings on offer, which is in itself deeply unbelievable as anyone with a dysfunctional family knows, you cannot un-do a lifetime of bad feeling with a few Christmas lights and a well-cooked turkey. The fact that lots of these reviewers are calling De Nero's performance here the best for 15 or 20 years really just shows how far he has fallen from his truly great performances in the 70's and 80's. Soppy over explained but undercooked melodrama that really should've been better considering the wealth of acting talent available.