EVERY DAY
US, 2010, 93 minutes, Colour.
Liev Schreiber, Helen Hunt, Brian Dennehy, Ezra Miller, Eddie Izzard, Carla Gugino, David Harbour, Skyler Fortgang.
Directed by Richard Levine.
Every Day is a slice of life – but not quite the slice of life for most families. The film focuses on several crises that could beset the ordinary family.
Liev Schreiber is very good as Ned, a writer for a reality television series, presided over by Eddie Izzard. The series is ultra-sensational, and the group is pressurised by the eccentric ideas of their producer. Carla Gugino is a co-writer who takes a passing fancy to Liev Schreiber. David Harbour is the up-and-coming writer.
Meanwhile at home, Ned’s wife Jeannie, an excellent Helen Hunt, has gone interstate to bring home her incapacitated father, a telling performance by Brian Dennehy. He is a grizzled cranky man, hypochondriac and always complaining. This takes its toll on his daughter, who was never close to him. Also in the meantime, the older son, Jonah (Ezra Miller) has come out as gay while still at school and is wanting to go to a gay and lesbian prom dance. His father is against it. Skyler Fortgang is the younger son, all things being normal with him.
The film builds up the crises, interconnects them. Audiences can identify with some of the situations while observing others. However, each issue is tackled and offers reflection on how the audience might handle the different situations. Liev Schreiber’s character fails but is given a second chance. Helen Hunt is persevering in her care for her father and children. The boy discovers that the world is more complex than he thought. The father seems unrelenting in his complaints – but does have some moments of redemption (especially with his love of jazz and his past with jazz).
The film was written and directed by Richard Levine, producer and writer, especially of Nip Tuck. This is his first feature film.
1. A slice of life, New York life? Typical or not? For American audiences? Other audiences?
2. The title and its emphasis, the normal everyday life, the crises in everyday life? Ordinary, different? People having to cope?
3. The American family, at home, parents, children, the boys, at school? The workplace? The television world? The wife and her clients? The gay world?
4. Audiences identifying with the characters and situations? Or merely observing them?
5. Ned and his age, the long marriage, the early marriage for himself and Jeannie? His love for his wife? The stress of his job, stress at home? Jeannie and her father, having to deal with them? Late at the airport? His support for his wife? Yet escaping at work? Strict with his son, not wanting him to go to the prom, not wanting him to wear the clothes that he had put on? Communicating with his younger son, playing with him? The mounting crises?
6. Ned at work, the madness of Garrett and his ideas, wanting more and more outrageous sleaze? Reality TV? Too much? His not approving Ned’s writing? Robin and her presence, Brian and his being praised? The demands on Ned, time, deadlines, changing plots, the extra work, his being tired of this work, yet his skills? With Robin, her flirting, going home with her, working with her, the sexual approach? The return to her house, in the pool, her boyfriend, the bashing, Ned’s lame excuse of banging into the door? The effect on him?
7. Jeannie and her father, the past and the stress, Jeannie’s mother, the death of her brother and the effect on her father? Picking him up at the airport? The continued complaints? The effect on her, on the boys, their love for their grandfather? Jeannie allowing Jonah to go to the prom? Wanting Ned to be easier on her son? The day-by-day work at home, the meals, the continued complaints, the emergency with pills, her father being suicidal? His drinking and the pills? Going to the retirement village, the support of Ned? The pleasant interlude of the picnic, the water, their talking? The boys and collaborating with their grandfather? The jazz? His collapse, the emergency, bringing him home? His death? The dutiful daughter?
8. Jeannie and her sons, the deals, her work, her husband and his reliability, coping with the infidelity?
9. Jonah, coming out, wanting to go to the prom, his father disapproving his clothes, going to the dance, his school friend, the young man wanting to pick him up? His going out again, lying, relying on his best friend – and being discovered? The dance, his being hit on, the offer of drugs, his resistance? His father picking him up? At the hospital? Learning his lessons?
10. Ethan, his place in the household, more normal? Relating with Jonah?
11. The finale with Ned at work, his being exposed, Brian and his success? Garrett and his character, his praising Ned for his outburst, wanting more spontaneity?
12. The resolution with the grandfather’s death, the forgiveness and mutual love? Accepting the boys as they were? A satisfactory bringing together of all the themes?
