While Robert De Niro gives one of his better performances of the
last 10 years, this gimmicky film lets him down. De Niro plays Frank, a
widower who, when he discovers his four children aren’t coming to
visit as planned, decides to embark on a trip to see all of them. This
is a road movie because the grown-up kids reside all over the country.
Never mind the ridiculousness of a man not calling ahead before
embarking on such a trip. The problem here is that a cast of decent
actors and actresses (Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore) is
given meager material to share with the great De Niro. It’s a
shocking thing when you have the likes of Rockwell and De Niro sharing
the screen, with nothing much happening. Director Kirk Jones employs a
lame gimmick where Frank sees and talks to his grown children as their
adolescent selves. The effect is creepy and not the touching experience
I’m sure he was aiming for.
Everybody’s Fine
