The Upside of Anger (2005)

Terry Wolfmeyer (Allen) is a suburban wife and mother whose life takes an unusual turn when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Struggling to deal with his sudden absence, Terry finds herself increasingly at odds with her four headstrong daughters and regularly drowning her anger in alcohol, until she develops an offbeat relationship with her next-door neighbor, Denny (Costner). (New Line Cinema)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Mike Binder
Written By: Mike Binder
Starring: Kevin Costner, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood, Joan Allen, Keri Russell, Mike Binder, Erika Christensen, Tom Harper
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The Upside of Anger belongs to 9 collections
1. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)
2. mother-daughter relationship (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 3 stars)
3. Alcoholism (collaborative: moderated by iceblox - 1 star)
4. stepfather-stepdaughter relationship (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 1 star)
5. Terrible Titles (public: donkeyjelly - 1 star)
6. Alexandre Desplat (composer) (collaborative: moderated by djross)
7. 2005: Year in Review (public: polanski28)
8. 2005, Missing (public: Matthew Parkinson)
9. Rough Ratings (public: saudade)
Browse the full list of collections
Date | User | Rating | |
Jun 22, 2020 | ![]() |
amazedemon | 64 50th |
The Upside of Anger is simultaneously oddly engaging and irritatingly ridiculous. What makes this film so watchable is the cast, whose characters lack a wee bit of dimensionality but have great chemistry with each other. The film essentially boils down to privileged, rich-people having privileged, rich-people problems and ending happily as RomComs do, with a cherry of utter contrivance to top it off. Amusing; watch it for the character interactions as that's all the substance this film offers.
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Jun 06, 2015 | ![]() |
lena_c | 2 17th |
This movie tried so hard to be real-life-serious.... Just as you think it's working - it's NOT. And the random weird jokes didn't make it better. Waste of good acting. *Okay
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Feb 15, 2014 | ![]() |
bookhouseboy | 37 44th |
Good cast and performances, but the episodic bits we get glimpses from in this time-skipping story come off as a lot less interesting than the potential all of those characters have for stories more engaging and better told. *Preview*: #14#, liked, oldies(2) }*{ #00s(m)#, story, cast.
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Sep 21, 2012 | ![]() |
eCitizen | 40 32nd |
Somewhat entertaining, but a lot of turmoil that was not really all that much fun to watch. Odd character performance from Kevin Costner. The entire movie is based on the premise that the husband has abandoned his family and the aftermath of it. Joan Allen was good. Some funny moments. Later you have to process what really happened and it makes you stop and think about how we deal with adversity. Not a great movie, not even a very good movie but not a waste of time either.
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Jun 03, 2011 | mlightle3 | 75 38th |
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I don't love movies about old people who learn to love again, but this one is an exception. And it made me look at Kevin Costner in a different way. And then he made Rumor Has It and blew all the hard work he'd done. Now I can't even watch Tin Cup.
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Oct 17, 2010 | ![]() |
SlantMag | 25 61st |
" Endeavors to airmail the middle-aged suburban angst made fashionable by American Beauty safely back to cynicism-free sitcom territory." - Chuck Rudolph
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Feb 27, 2010 | ![]() |
jeff_v | 43 6th |
Long before the stupid ending, The Upside of Anger sinks into a morass of bullshit. I just didn't find any of the characters believable. Binder sacrifices insight for the acerbic comeback at every opportunity, and the voice-over (which inexcusably mentions the title of the film) is truly embarrassing. Even the usually awesome Alexandre Desplat goes splat with his drippy score.
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Aug 12, 2009 | ![]() |
Anselmi86 | 56 32nd |
While the movie kind of lacks, Joan Allen was robbed of an Oscar nom.
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Jun 15, 2009 | tef | 95 93rd |
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Good music.
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May 01, 2009 | ![]() |
ABUNCHOFCATS | 77 44th |
Pretty good romantic movie.
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Sep 23, 2008 | ![]() |
tathiel | 85 84th |
Very enjoyable drama, very good performance by Costner!
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Sep 21, 2008 | ![]() |
AshWilliams | 50 4th |
Ridiculous ending. Forgettable movie.
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Mar 16, 2008 | ![]() |
Tripwyre | 71 61st |
Writer-director Mike Binder (TV's 'Mind of the Married Man') returns to the big screen with the story of two broken people who come together to...well...get drunk, among other things. Allen is wonderful (between this, Yes and Off the Map, it's a wonder she didn't get any award recognition that year) and Costner makes a nice return to form in the kind of role he should, and only he could, be playing. A darkly funny and ultimately tragic film.
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Sep 24, 2007 | easymac742 | 70 36th |
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Horribly misleading marketing campaigns set me up in the wrong mindset for this one. It's not as funny as I expected. It's still good, though.
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Sep 16, 2007 | Dustyd | 75 79th |
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Solid and very well acted.
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Aug 17, 2007 | gberke | 85 74th |
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wonderful acting. sad, weird. but really fine acting, nice story, sensitive, love
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Aug 14, 2007 | ![]() |
3Names | 90 77th |
Anybody who doesn't appreciate the work of Kevin Costner isn't watching the right films... Joan allen is brilliant in this one, too... Highly recommended. One of my favorite over-looked films of '05...
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Aug 14, 2007 | Calencoriel | 88 44th |
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Totally not a comedy...and that's how it was advertised...but wow, so enjoyable. There are a lot of unanswered questions when you watch this film, but I think that's what makes it so enjoyable. Nice twist at the end that is accepted almost too quickly by the members affected.
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Aug 14, 2007 | idiot27000 | 62 35th |
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Very effective until the horribly contrived and unbelievable ending.
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Aug 14, 2007 | JoshStew06 | 70 45th |
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Joan Allen is perfect in this movie. I love her. Plus it's pretty funny.
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Aug 14, 2007 | ![]() |
ozymandius10 | 85 90th |
A real surprise. Good chemistry between Allen and Costner. Good story, funny moments, sad ending.
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Aug 14, 2007 | ![]() |
Ytadel | 3 28th |
Fairly well-performed drama, if a little bit overly melodramatic. It may force a couple eye-rolls out of you.
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Aug 14, 2007 | ![]() |
rockwell | 39 10th |
Kevin isn't playing Baseball...why?
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Average Percentile 46.09% from 520 Ratings | ![]() |