This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Really Surprised!

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Gone are the Dances With Wolves days when Kevin Costner plays a man's man. Now, he's stuck in EWF roles: Every Woman's Fantasy. Which has an "upside". Pun intended.In The Upside of Anger, Joan Allen's husband takes up with a younger woman, leaving her to take care of their four teenage daughters. There's no way to inject any more estrogen into this movie than there already is. Enter Kevin Costner. Because in a man-hating, man-bashing world, there's only one man who can step up to the feminine plate and win Joan's heart.If you're a man-hating man-basher who secretly really just wants a man to step into your life and fix your heart, you'll absolutely love this movie. I actually like men, so when I see them criticized, stereotyped, and set in a lower species than women, I cringe a little. I didn't like this movie, even though Costner's as cute and charming as he always is.To me, it's just not realistic that an athletic, intelligent, door-breaking, hormone-charged, handsome, funny, charming, well-adjusted man would be hopelessly single and would willingly step into an embittered, riddled-with-problems woman's life and genuinely care for her four daughters. But if you liked Costner's other EWF movies, like Message in a Bottle and The Bodyguard, add this one to your collection!

The Upside of Anger (2005): Dir: Mike Binder / Cast: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt: Excellent film about bitterness and the road to healing. Joan Allen plays the mother of four daughters who is bitter after her husband takes off with his secretary. Kevin Costner plays a radio DJ and former baseball star who lives nearby. Detailed screenplay on relationships while staying focused on central issues. One daughter is into gymnastics; another is engaged to be married; another discovers that her potential boyfriend is gay; and another lands a job on Costner's radio station where she becomes involved with a womanizer. Well directed by Mike Binder who also has a speaking part in the film. Joan Allen embodies her role with sarcasm mixed with alcohol with a great scene where she is to meet the parents of her daughter's fiancée. Costner is employing equal chemistry in one of his best performances. He seeks out a relationship with Allen in those hard core drinking evenings. Twist ending has Costner discover the real reasons for Allen's husband's absence. The daughters are well drawn but also add to the film's predictable subplots. They are played by Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Evan Rachel Wood, and Alicia Witt and they are stunning. Bitter resentment is ugly but the message regards the calm after the storm. Score: 9 / 10

This is a deeply disappointing film from Mike Binder, considering how brilliant his 'Reign over Me' would be two years later. The best thing about the film is Kevin Costner, who is warm, fills the screen, and is totally watchable throughout, pro that he is. Joan Allen, who in other films, such as more recently, 'The Bourne Ultimatum', is a powerful actress of impressive appearance, should never have made this film, because at the time she seems to have been in a state of extreme anorexia or bulimia. Her body in this is so vanishingly thin that her head looks like a transplant of a pumpkin on a narrow corn stalk. In one scene, her neck ligaments are so pronounced that one fears she may use them to strangle the sound man. She should have gone into rehab rather than film this, but it seems that she did afterwards, as she seemed OK in the latest 'Bourne'. In the film, she has four daughters, all of whom look disconcertingly as if they are the same age. None of them can speak clearly, and they mumble and swallow their dialogue as if it were a secret they were loathe to reveal to us. They all suffer from what I call 'Dakota Fanning Syndrome', which is the tendency to talk like spoilt, musing babies, making only 20% of the words comprehensible. It seems that kids can't speak anymore. I guess their vocal chords are shrivelling up while they strengthen their thumbs with text messaging. Mike Binder is very good at playing the character 'Shep', and it is a pity the best he did this time around was as an actor, as his script is really deeply flawed. Without revealing what happens at the end of the film, I cannot adequately explain how totally, utterly implausible the whole story really is, to a degree which I find deeply shocking. Are we really meant to believe this tale? The profundity of the film is, alas, only mock-profundity. Binder's attempts to explore deep things are only successful with Costner's character, but fail otherwise. The people in the film are uniformly nauseating, spoilt brat, narcissistic, self-pitying creeps. The worst of all is the monster mother, played by Joan Allen. If her intention was to make us hate her, she certainly succeeded. There is actually no one in the film with whom I had an ounce of sympathy except the daughter played by Keri Russell, who wants to be a dancer. Good for her. She is the only character in the film worth a moment's time or attention. The way in which girls as young as 15 talk in this film constantly about screwing is deeply disturbing. It may be true to life, but then that truth about life is equally disturbing. Apart from the dancing daughter, there is no one in this film with any aim or purpose, and they are all so spoilt rotten that they are sickening. Come on Binder, what is this all about? Did you really think you could squeeze some juice out of these dry and sour lemons? After watching a whole film of Joan Allen being a monster, it was hari-kari time.

I am a huge Kevin Costner fan and I waited a long to see The Upside of Anger because I figured it to be an 'okay' movie...average at best and as with all great surprises this one floored me because The Upside of Anger is absolutely brilliant and now goes onto my favorites list for all time. There is something subtle about the way the film plays out, and also so real and demanding and high emotions from beginning to end from each member of this seemingly dysfunctional family that always manages to pull together. The twist at the end is the exact definition of a twist. There was absolutely no way you saw anything like this coming, and the last few moments of the film completely change everything that came before it. You become so intertwined with this woman's bitter anger, and emotions that discovering that twist makes you feel exactly the way she would have felt and it's devastating and relieving all at once...it's the "Upside of Anger." I completely believe that there were some severely overlooked performances for Golden Globes, Academy Awards and so forth in this film and one of them hands down is Joan Allen who turns a downright incredible performance as Terry Ann Wolfmeyer, the mother of four beautiful girls who finds herself abandoned by her husband following a mid life crisis of sorts. Terry quickly becomes the ideal functional alcoholic, always a drink in her hand but also still up and interacting and hovering protectively over her children. Unfortunately her spite and anger come across as bitter and sharp comments that leave her family feeling her bite. Allen is drop dead amazing in this role!! Kevin Costner is almost as impressive as radio talk show host and equally functioning alcoholic Denny Davies. Davies has a washed up baseball career, sells autographed balls on the internet, lives in squaller and drinks like a fish and somehow Davies and Terry find a common bond in their misery. Costner is upbeat and depressing all at once. He is also truly one of the good guys because he genuinely loves and cares for Allen's character and stands with her through everything in hopes to find love back. He's the most upstanding sleaze ball I've ever seen. He has morals and loves his new family. The four daughters are such an integral part of this film because each one develop a different way that their mother's anger effects them. Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt, and Evan Rachel Wood are so good both together with the cast and in their own right. Christensen develops a more outgoing and determined personality desperate to make something of herself and be a strong woman. Russell's character has her dreams severely dampened by her mother's harsh words and non-supportive comments. Alicia Witt hides her new found love from her mother so as to not have it ruined and quickly marries and has children to escape her. And the young Evan Rachel Wood tries to adjust to teenage life with a gay friend that she likes and her older sisters changing personalities. They all do an amazing job!! Terrific director Mike Binder also plays a supporting role as radio Producer 'Shep' who has a taste for young women including the young Andy Wolfmeyer played by Christensen. Binder is great as the sleazy and yet down to earth Shep who really just makes his moves for himself and you don't really want to hold that against him. A particularly powerful scene involves an intense argument between Shep and Allen's character.The Upside of Anger might be one of the most powerful drama's I have seen in a very long time and given me a great deal of respect for Joan Allen and Mike Binder. The film doesn't blow you away right away but has this subtle intelligence and such deep emotion that draws you in and makes you such a huge part of each character's lives and then leaves you breathless. This is an absolute must see film. It's drama, romance, mystery, and just emotion boiling over. This film is extremely under rated and few really appreciate it for what it is and I am proud to say that I appreciate it as one of my favorite films of all time!! 10/10