March 18
In Everybody's Fine, everybody is actually not at all fine. The film opens with Perry Como singing Catch a Falling Star while Frank Goode (Robert de Niro) primps his house and garden. And then one by one his four adult children call to cancel their weekend visit to which widower Frank had been so looking forward. Frank decides to turn things around and go visit them. Because of his heart condition, Frank's doctor forbids plane travel so Frank goes off across the country by train and bus. His first stop is NYC, but artist David is not home. He continues to Chicago to Amy (Kate Beckinsale). Her life is too hectic for a visitor so, after just one night, he goes to Colorado to Robert (Sam Rockwell). It is quite a surprise that Robert is not a conductor as he thought but "just" a percussionist in the orchestra. And Robert also seems to have no time for dad. Next stop is Rosie's (Drew Barrymore) in Las Vegas. She is more welcoming than the others had been, but Frank hurries home because his medications are finished. A heart attack on the forbidden plane finally brings his kids home and provides the opportunity for a real family discussion which makes Frank see his children as they are instead of what he wanted them to be.
Robert de Niro is naturally as good as always (with all those interesting facial expressions), but the film is sometimes much too melancholic. And funny enough, the cross country trip was actually filmed entirely in Connecticut.