THE UPSIDE OF ANGER

US, 2004, 119 minutes, Colour.
Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Erica Christensen, Kerri Russell, Evan Rachel Wood, Alicia Witt, Mike Bender.
Directed by Mike Bender.

A guess would be that many reviews offered the quip, ‘if this is the upside of anger, how much more miserable could the downside be?’.

This is a film about women’s anger, about Terry and her four daughters. The youngest, Popeye, is making a video collage of images of anger and tells us in the introductory voiceover that before her mother became angry and resentful and alcoholic, she was a sweet woman, a nice woman. The film does not show us this side of Terry at all. What we see is a woman who has been deserted by her husband with his secretary, not even trying to cope, letting the anger consume her from inside. That superbly intense actress, Joan Allen (The Crucible, Nixon, Pleasantville, The Contender, Yes) is distressingly self-destructive as Terry.

Kevin Costner has the kinder role as former baseball champion, now DJ and talk show host, who steps in to support Terry. Costner returns to his former charm and makes a pleasing balance to Joan Allen and shows himself a thoughtful father figure.

The voiceover is by the youngest daughter, Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen, Down in the Valley). The focus is also on Erika Christensen’s Andy who disappoints her mother in not going to college, getting a job at the radio station and starting a liaison with the older producer. Kerri Russell and Alicia Witt are the other two daughters. All do good work in their roles.

When you eventually think that the anger is irredeemable there is a plot twist that makes all the characters as well as the audience do a re-think and reassess the effect of consuming anger and its futility.

1. The title of the film, the focus on anger, Popeye’s initial explanation? Bitterness and resentment? The consequences, change in personality? Terri’s anger, the daughter’s anger?

2. The Michigan setting, the city, affluence, homes and grounds, the radio station, the university, the wedding? The musical score and songs?

3. A film of interiors, Terri’s home, Denny’s home? The focus on the different rooms, the number of meals, the radio studio?

4. The structure of the film: the funeral, Popeye’s voice-over, going back three and a half years? The situation, Terri’s anger, its effect on her, the time passing – and the strange gaps in continuity?

5. The portrait of Terri, Popeye saying that she was nice but the audience never seeing this, her husband leaving, going with his secretary, her resentment? The amount of drinking? Her antagonism with her daughters, their not thinking that she loved them? The tension at meals, the preparation of the meals? Denny and his coming to the door, drunk, inquiring about the property development? His staying? Terri not ringing Sweden for her husband? Hadley and her sarcasm, going to college? Andy, not going to college, wanting the job, her fierce reaction against this? Her stopping Emily and enrolment in the dance institute? Concern about Popeye? Her initial antagonism towards Denny and his motivations? The development? Her sudden ringing up about sex and his hiding? The further phone call, each of them coming over, the cars in the street? The sexual relationship, the affair? Her hating her husband or not? The continued drinking, difficult to get up in the morning, her slovenly dressing?

6. Her handling the crises with the girls, Hadley and her going back to college, the announcement of her engagement? Andy, not going to college, the shouting match? Andy and her finding her in the bed with Shep? Her unspeakable rage? Emily and her illness, going to the hospital, snapping at the doctors? Putting on a cheery face for Emily’s return? The graduation, Hadley’s news, her drinking at the meal with the in-laws? Her behaviour at the wedding, referring to Hadley’s face as plump? Dancing with Denny, satisfied watching Denny with her daughters? Shep, the interchange, slapping him? Her not talking to Denny after his outburst against her in the bathroom? Meeting Shep in the supermarket and the interchange?

7. The finding of her husband’s body, her grief? The realisation that he had not abandoned her? The funeral? The end of the film, bringing her anger to some kind of resolution? With Denny? With her girls?

8. Denny, his baseball background, drinking? Curious about the disappearance of Gray? Coming into the house, the meals, seeing Terri in the shower? His presence with the tension? Hiding when Terri came over? The affair? His acting as a father figure to the girls, dancing with them at the wedding, genial towards Gordon and the bungee jumping and Popeye’s admiration, the hospital and Emily? His own anger and outburst against Terri and her not speaking to him?

9. Denny and his work at the radio, not talking about baseball? His relationship with Shep, with the other members of the staff? At the station, mentioning Terri and her listening after asking him not to mention her? The question about contracts, threats? His owing Shep, getting Andy the job? His final angry outburst against Shep?

10. Shep, the radio producer, the Emmys, the local talent, the job, running the station, with Denny, with the other deejays? Not wanting to employ Andy, seeing her, the affair, being found in bed? The wedding and the interaction with Terri and her slapping him? Meeting her in the supermarket, justifying himself, explaining the attraction of younger women and their response to him, taunting Terri with her bitterness? The final fight with Denny and his breaking with him?

11. Hadley, her laughing at her mother, the scene with the dog licking the chicken and serving it for the meal? At college, the graduation, the family’s pride, announcing her engagement, her mother not knowing? The meal, her mother talking about her, drinking, embarrassment? The wedding, her resentment against her mother’s comment on her face, pulling in her cheeks during the ceremony? Pregnant again? The in-laws, her husband, genial, the parents and their coping with the situation?

12. Andy, age, not wanting to go to college, eager for the job, reporter? Enthusiasm, with Shep, promotion at work, the relationship with him? Her matter-of-fact way of breaking off the relationship?

13. Emily, wanting to dance, her stress, love-hating her father, collapse, hospital? Her dancing on-stage and the family’s pride?

14. Popeye, her age, making the video, the visualising of her inserts about anger? Attraction towards Gordon, explaining he was gay? The bungee jumping, pot? Gordon’s father, his bungee jumping on the tree and crashing into the house? His presence at the end?

15. The character of Gordon, young man, bungee jumping, oppressed by his father, gay, the crash?

16. The film and its thesis about anger, the irony of its ultimately not being justified, its consuming people, psychological and physical illness, resentment? The possibilities of resolution and an upside?