OK so, no this movie did not help me sleep. It kept me staring at the ceiling for an hour after the credits started rolling, then compelled me to wake up and write this, my second ever review on IMDb. To those of you who have or have ever had trouble sleeping...you know when your brain just won't shut the hell up & everything is running through your mind a mile a second? Well, I figured I needed something light and funny to soothe me to sleep...instantly I thought of Will Ferrel. I wanted to watch a film of his I hadn't seen before, and then came Everything Must Go.
Remember Adam Sandler in Reign Over Me? Get ready to be wowed by another comedy actor turning to a more serious role. Ferrel plays Nick Halsey, a middle-aged professional working in a senior position for a top corporation who also struggles with alcohol. What happens to set the stage for the film is every mans worst nightmare. All in one day, he loses his job, his wife & his home and has all his possessions tossed onto his front yard with no access back into his house. With no car, no money and no where to go, he takes up residence on his front lawn. With the help of a neighbourhood kid, a new neighbour & an old high school acquaintance, Nick embarks on a journey to discover how his choices got him exactly where he is today. Because although the writers fool you into having sympathy for our main protagonist at the beginning of the film, the dots slowly connect and you discover that maybe Nick himself is largely to blame for his current circumstances.
What spoke to me is Nicks addiction. The first thing he does on his front lawn when everything has gone to hell is crack open a beer. Which sad to say, is what I would've done, although alcohol is not my poison. At first, his drinking just seems like a reaction to his bad situation, but it turns out it has been a major influence on his life for a long time. Each character plays a specific role in his self-discoveries. The neighbourhood kid gives him a purpose, someone to teach about sales and helps him reflect on his relationship with his parents. The new neighbour is a representation of how Nick and his wife started out and the "compromises" that had to be made (and I say this in the least creepy way possible, she was the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen (even though she obviously isn't really pregnant)). While the old high school acquaintance (again, I heavily related to this) was someone from another time in Nicks life who saw him as this larger than life character with a big heart, who was sure to be destined for great things. And Nick is desperate to be reassured that he is still that guy. The thing I noticed is...Nicks encounters with these 3 characters is always one on one (except at the end when there is a walking scene but no dialogue), and I tell you, each encounter with each character will have you hooked to your screen. I can't explain it, it was nearly like the adrenaline rush you get with an action movie but a lot more subtle. You never knew if the exchange was going to be positive or negative.
The theme of the movie can be summed up like this: "how did my choices in life lead me to now?". I relate to Nick in almost every way...except for the choices he made. Because it was my lack of making choices that led me to a similar place that he finds himself in. It was freaky how in almost every scene I would have reacted the same as he did, and I kid you not, right before he says to the cop "There's a law that says I can't drink a f#$%ing beer on my lawn?", I thought in my head "there's a law in the US that says you can't drink a f#$%ing beer on your own front lawn?" I can't really recommend this film enough based on entertainment value alone, but if you're looking for a movie that is sure to trigger some self-reflection also, then you have really stumbled onto a winner with Everything Must Go. The humour is scarce but you get 2 to 3 laugh out loud moments, the rest will either make you smile or chuckle (depending on how sensitive your funny bone is).
I don't get all the hater reviews on here. A lot of them are complaining that they were "duped" because they went to see a funny Will Ferrel comedy but got this instead...Awwwww, poor baby, need me to kiss the boo boo better? Grow up! If you were dumb enough to not look into the movie you were going to see (regardless of the lead actor) then you brought it on yourself. Even I read the short bio on this website before I watched it, after I read the part about him struggling with alcohol I knew it wasn't going to be all moon beams and my little ponies. And you didn't like that the movie was 'depressing' did you? You one of those warm fuzzy types that always has to have their head up with the fairies? Life can be depressing, life can be hard...this isn't news. And for a movie to bring these truths to light in such an artistic, engaging and REAL fashion...inspired. And you didn't like it? I'm sure if I ever met you I'd punch you in your 1 dimensional head.
To all lovers of movies with substance that stimulate your brain, stop reading this review already and watch this movie. A movie that leaves you with a feeling of "new starts are hard, and they may not work out, but the only other option is to sink".
Remember Adam Sandler in Reign Over Me? Get ready to be wowed by another comedy actor turning to a more serious role. Ferrel plays Nick Halsey, a middle-aged professional working in a senior position for a top corporation who also struggles with alcohol. What happens to set the stage for the film is every mans worst nightmare. All in one day, he loses his job, his wife & his home and has all his possessions tossed onto his front yard with no access back into his house. With no car, no money and no where to go, he takes up residence on his front lawn. With the help of a neighbourhood kid, a new neighbour & an old high school acquaintance, Nick embarks on a journey to discover how his choices got him exactly where he is today. Because although the writers fool you into having sympathy for our main protagonist at the beginning of the film, the dots slowly connect and you discover that maybe Nick himself is largely to blame for his current circumstances.
What spoke to me is Nicks addiction. The first thing he does on his front lawn when everything has gone to hell is crack open a beer. Which sad to say, is what I would've done, although alcohol is not my poison. At first, his drinking just seems like a reaction to his bad situation, but it turns out it has been a major influence on his life for a long time. Each character plays a specific role in his self-discoveries. The neighbourhood kid gives him a purpose, someone to teach about sales and helps him reflect on his relationship with his parents. The new neighbour is a representation of how Nick and his wife started out and the "compromises" that had to be made (and I say this in the least creepy way possible, she was the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen (even though she obviously isn't really pregnant)). While the old high school acquaintance (again, I heavily related to this) was someone from another time in Nicks life who saw him as this larger than life character with a big heart, who was sure to be destined for great things. And Nick is desperate to be reassured that he is still that guy. The thing I noticed is...Nicks encounters with these 3 characters is always one on one (except at the end when there is a walking scene but no dialogue), and I tell you, each encounter with each character will have you hooked to your screen. I can't explain it, it was nearly like the adrenaline rush you get with an action movie but a lot more subtle. You never knew if the exchange was going to be positive or negative.
The theme of the movie can be summed up like this: "how did my choices in life lead me to now?". I relate to Nick in almost every way...except for the choices he made. Because it was my lack of making choices that led me to a similar place that he finds himself in. It was freaky how in almost every scene I would have reacted the same as he did, and I kid you not, right before he says to the cop "There's a law that says I can't drink a f#$%ing beer on my lawn?", I thought in my head "there's a law in the US that says you can't drink a f#$%ing beer on your own front lawn?" I can't really recommend this film enough based on entertainment value alone, but if you're looking for a movie that is sure to trigger some self-reflection also, then you have really stumbled onto a winner with Everything Must Go. The humour is scarce but you get 2 to 3 laugh out loud moments, the rest will either make you smile or chuckle (depending on how sensitive your funny bone is).
I don't get all the hater reviews on here. A lot of them are complaining that they were "duped" because they went to see a funny Will Ferrel comedy but got this instead...Awwwww, poor baby, need me to kiss the boo boo better? Grow up! If you were dumb enough to not look into the movie you were going to see (regardless of the lead actor) then you brought it on yourself. Even I read the short bio on this website before I watched it, after I read the part about him struggling with alcohol I knew it wasn't going to be all moon beams and my little ponies. And you didn't like that the movie was 'depressing' did you? You one of those warm fuzzy types that always has to have their head up with the fairies? Life can be depressing, life can be hard...this isn't news. And for a movie to bring these truths to light in such an artistic, engaging and REAL fashion...inspired. And you didn't like it? I'm sure if I ever met you I'd punch you in your 1 dimensional head.
To all lovers of movies with substance that stimulate your brain, stop reading this review already and watch this movie. A movie that leaves you with a feeling of "new starts are hard, and they may not work out, but the only other option is to sink".