Back In The Ring?

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As I hear it, Kirk Jones' Everybody's Fine (Miramax, 12.4), an About Schmidt-type family drama that will be reviewed following its AFIFest premiere on 11.3, isn't necessarily a Best Picture candidate, but Robert De Niro, playing a dad looking to reconnect with his grown kids, could snag some consideration as a Best Actor candidate.

"It's a low-key performance, which actors will like -- understated -- and he hasn't been Oscar-nominated since Cape Fear, which was 16 or 17 years ago," says a guy who's seen it. "He more or less sells it with two scenes -- a meltdown moment during a plane flight and an emotional scene at a hospital."

Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell and Melissa Leo (in a very small role as a truck driver) costar.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM

comment #1

Stringer Bell says ...

Perfect casting for Melissa Leo. If she wasnt an actress, thats exactly what i picture her being.

Posted by Stringer Bell at October 30, 2009 2:30 PM

comment #2

Gordon27 says ...

Yeah, I remember when they tried to sell the same buzz for Dustin Hoffman last year for 'Last Chance Harvey'.

Posted by Gordon27 at October 30, 2009 2:49 PM

comment #3

Postavant says ...

This seems to be a much more legitimate bid than Last Chance Harvey, though. There is a release date and a trailer before there are FYC ads this time. ;)

Posted by Postavant at October 30, 2009 2:56 PM

comment #4

George Prager says ...

LAST CHANCE HARVEY was great. But a completely different kind of movie. Comparing it to this is like comparing AVATAR to EASY RIDER (DeeZee would give it a shot).

Posted by George Prager at October 30, 2009 2:58 PM

comment #5

Kristopher Tapley says ...

http://incontention.com/?p=13531

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at October 30, 2009 3:02 PM

comment #6

Movie Watcher says ...

The trailer was ok. It does remind me of Schmidt, but not too much. Still, DeNiro's role as the grandparent is different from Schmidt, but the story is kind of similar.

Posted by Movie Watcher at October 30, 2009 3:54 PM

comment #7

BurmaShave says ...

The poster on the other hand is one of the most awkwardly dreadful things I've ever seen: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3339815168/tt0780511

I mean that looks like something cooked up for a DTV LARRy THE CABLE GUy: FAMILy DRAMEDy. How long would DeNiro's arm have to be for that picture to make sense

Posted by BurmaShave at October 30, 2009 4:05 PM

comment #8

adorian says ...

I saw the trailer for this, a very long trailer attached to some DVD I rented, and I truly feel that I have already seen the movie. They gave the entire plot. I suppose all I need to do is watch the final 5 minutes of the movie to see if there's some kind of surprise ending.

Posted by adorian at October 30, 2009 4:14 PM

comment #9

John Galt says ...

dear burma,

thank you for the link to the picture and the quip about mr. larry the cable guy. it was the laugh i've been waiting all day for.

appreciatively,
JG

Posted by John Galt at October 30, 2009 4:15 PM

comment #10

Gordon27 says ...

"Comparing it to this is like comparing AVATAR to EASY RIDER"

Well, first off, that's a completely ridiculous thing to say anyway. They're not two wildly different genres shot in two wildly different styles. They're two studio movies shot very similarly dealing primarily with post-50 crises that older audiences can appreciate. I can totally accept that they're different movies, but there's an umbrella that covers both, and it ain't *that* big an umbrella.

That said, I wasn't actually comparing the two films, merely the buzz that starts around a Hollywood project that is a contrived Oscar bid. Buzz for this movie feels exactly as inorganic as it did last year for 'Harvey'. That's all I meant; it's nothing to do with the films themselves, as Oscar buzz is largely unconnected with genuine quality.

Posted by Gordon27 at October 30, 2009 5:12 PM

comment #11

lipranzer says ...

"an ABOUT SCHMIDT-type family drama"

Except this is a remake of an Italian film of the same name (by director Giuseppe Tornatore, and starring Marcello Mastroianni) made almost 20 years ago (predating ABOUT SCHMIDT by at least a decade), SCHMIDT dealt with just one offspring, while this had three (that I remember), and SCHMIDT's tone was more comic and, in some cases, caustic, while EVERYBODY'S FINE was more sentimental and elegiac.

Also, I'm afraid I didn't care for the Tornatore film when I first saw it, though that was about 15 years ago, so my feelings may change on subsequent viewing.

Posted by lipranzer at October 30, 2009 8:53 PM

comment #12

Mike says ...

Let's be honest. De Niro hasn't given an award worthy performance in close to 20 years. And I don't expect him to start now. He's strictly chasing money now.

Posted by Mike at October 31, 2009 1:48 PM

comment #13

Gordon27 says ...

I agree with you -- except for 'Jackie Brown'. I'd say he deserved a nomination for that, except Forster deserved it more and got it, but I do love De Niro in that movie. It's the last time he really seems to be creating a character.

Posted by Gordon27 at November 2, 2009 12:46 AM

comment #14

snoop says ...

Let's be honest. De Niro hasn't given an award worthy performance in close to 20 years. And I don't expect him to start now. He's strictly chasing money now.

I get that he's been in the dumps of late, but I hope this is hyperbole. The guy actually had a pretty good 90s--Goodfellas, Heat, Casino, Wag the Dog, Awakenings, A Bronx Tale, This Boy's Life, Jackie Brown, Jackie Brown, Cop Land, and even Cape Fear, Marvin's Room, and Mad Dog and Glory. Analyze This isn't bad too bad (and could've been a worthwhile play for bankability if he had used that bankability for the good), and I do find Flawless pretty damn watchable. 90s DeNiro was pretty diverse, showed ranged, and picked interesting projects.

Now, the DeNiro of the 2000s is a different story. The best movies he has this decade areCity by the Sea, The Good Shepherd and Meet the Parents and all three are solid at best.

Posted by snoop at November 2, 2009 5:30 AM

comment #15