Everybody's Fine
It just goes to show how far we have come. I never, ever thought I would see Robert De Niro hoovering. This is a little treat of a film, eternally understated and full of intricate, delicate moments that most people old enough to have grandchildren (or grown up kids, at least) will recognise. Not at first what you may expect, this is not a comedy in any sense of the word. De Niro’s ‘Dad’ may be a toned down version of what you saw in ‘Meet The Fockers’, but that is as far as it goes.
When widower Frank Goode (De Niro) tries to arrange a get-together at his house for him and his four grown up children, who all lead their own very busy lives all across the States, each of them leave as message on his answer phone making excuses as to why they won’t be able to make it.
But rather than be defeated, Frank decides (rather stoically, as his character seems all too easily to embrace) to take the bull by the horns and if the kids won’t come to him, then dammit, he will go to them. Even if it means travelling on trains and buses, as his medical condition won’t allow him to fly.
And so begins Frank’s trip. First to New York to see David, then to see his advertising executive daughter Amy (Beckinsale), onto ‘Conductor’ Robert (Sam Rockwell) and last but not least to Las Vegas and daughter Rosie (Drew Barrymore).
During his travels from one of his children to the next, telephone calls between the children are exchanged, as the story of David’s apparent disappearance becomes the focal point for the audience, though Amy, Robert and Rosie all do the best to keep the news from their Father.
This ‘About Schmidt’-alike is fairly likeable stuff all told and hits some great highs, most of which I can’t tell you about so as not to ruin the plot for you, but it’s the first time I have been brought to tears by a film this year (I got through the whole of last year with blubbing) such is the poignancy of the picture at times.
De Niro plays Frank in a subdued, almost knowingly bewildered fashion. He knows his kids aren’t perfect and that they spend a disproportionate amount of time lying when talking to him, for one reason or another, but also knows it is usually out of love and/or worry for him. As an aging father and grandparent who finally realises that he had never really understood or got to know his children properly while his wife was alive and burdening herself with the things that she didn’t want him to find out about, he has an almost biological need to make up for the loss of his wife in his children’s’ lives by getting to know them now, and carrying on the work of his late wife.
The film speeds along at a pace unbecoming of the subject matter and each trip Frank takes zips along maybe a touch too fast for comfort and appreciability purposes. The relationships with his children are all largely uncomfortable, with each one harbouring a secret that they can only hope their father doesn’t grill them about. Though by the final act, the speed returns to a canter for the delivery of its final heartstring message.
Altogether an accomplished piece from De Niro with the occasional high point, though his performance is largely just above average throughout. He is ably supported by the rest of the cast, who are no slouches either. I would have liked to have seen some padding on the characters of the children, giving them a little more depth.
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