Review: The Upside of Anger

Unlike a blazing fire, anger needs air to subside. While oxygen allows a fire to grow in fury, it allows anger to breathe.

In its most commanding stages, anger – whether justified or unjustified – has the power to transform the calm into someone they are not. The Upside of Anger deals with this transformation in a dramatic and personal setting. Throughout the film anger, fear, solace, aggression, and angst surface, and while their effects can be striking, sincerity eventually triumphs over severity.

Despite its near detrimental twist, The Upside of Anger is a heartrending and honest look at the gravity and austerity of emotions; its direction is praiseworthy and all six of its lead character portrayals are unpretentious and admirable.

During the film’s opening, a funeral is taking place. Who this funeral is for is not determined until the final 10 minutes of the picture. In the meantime, rewind to three years earlier. Terry Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen) is wallowing in her own sadness and drowning herself in alcohol; her husband left her for another woman—making her the lone provider of their four dissonant daughters. The oldest, Hadley (Alicia Witt), is at her wit’s end with her mother and cannot wait to get out of the house and start her own life. Andy (Erika Christensen) chooses not to attend college and instead immediately enters the workforce and initiates a relationship with her squirrelly boss (Mike Binder). Emily (Keri Russell) wants to attend an Arts college to study dance, and her unhappy home life has stricken her with illness. And finally, the youngest, Popeye (Evan Rachel Wood), is yearning for a boyfriend and begins to experiment with drugs.

Entering into this broken home and zoo of frustration is fellow drinker Denny Davies (Kevin Costner), an ex-baseball player and a current radio talk show host. Denny attempts to stabilize the household and bring a sense of calmness and contentment into the lives of Terry and her daughters.

Article Author: Brandon Valentine

Brandon Valentine is a film critic from Hershey, PA. Aside from possessing the last name “Valentine” and living in “the Sweetest Place on Earth,” Brandon was also born on Valentine’s Day. That’s right, a Valentine born on Valentine’s Day. …

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