Release Date: 5/13/11 (Limited)
Everything Must Go, directed by Dan Rush and based on the short story by Raymond Carver, is a dramatic character study. The film is a quiet little indie which also happens to be the directorial debut of filmmaker Dan Rush. It is very slowly paced with a script that is solid and original but also lacks something to make the story flow in a way to keep you engaged in it. It is carried by an uncharacteristic dramatic performance from funny man Will Ferrell. The movie is something that you should definitely check out at some point, but you might want to wait for it to hit HBO.
Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) is an alcoholic who is laid off from his job after 16 years with the company, causing his wife to change the locks and put all his belongings on the front yard. Having nowhere to go, Nick starts living on his yard. A neighborhood boy helps him hold a yard sale for 3 days in an attempt to start over again. He then meets a pregnant woman named Samantha (Rebecca Hall) who lives across the street. She might be the key to his return to form as she gives him some advice during his hard time.
Will Ferrell is mostly known for his outrageous comedies and hilarious characters such as Anchorman’s Ron Burgundy. He has also tried some dramatic pieces through his career with Stranger Than Fiction and Winter Passing. This film though, is his best dramatic performance to date. It’s a quiet presentation, nothing like his usual shtick of screaming and freaking out, here he is calm, lost, and even extremely emotional in several scenes. His performance actually shocked me because I wasn’t aware he had that much range. This might be a sign that he will start to mix up his repertoire more often, similar to his cohort John C. Reilly.
The performance doesn’t save the movie though. It has many problems. The writing, although very good at some points lacks the pacing to make a film like this, which takes place in mostly one location, entertaining. I was finding myself getting a little sleepy in the theater which doesn’t happen often. With Ferrell in the lead you think they would capitalize on throwing in some good comic moments, which is always needed in an indie like this. There are maybe one or two moments that are actually funny. The supporting cast doesn’t really help either, though I was a fan of Rebecca Hall and I thought her and Ferrell showed good chemistry, the rest of the cast is pretty mediocre. Michael Pena, Laura Dern and Stepehn Root all have small roles, none that really stand out at all. The little boy in the film isn’t bad and he and Ferrell start a innocent relationship as he tries to help him learn how to play baseball.
The ending was a nice touch and one of stronger points of the script, but it didn’t have me leaving the theater feeling completely satisfied. The characters are all well developed, especially Ferrell but the story just isn’t engaging enough to capture the viewer for the hour and 45 minute runtime. A good first shot for director Dan Rush but he has a lot to improve on. Everything Must Go is worth a watch for a solid performance from Ferrell but I just wouldn’t recommend everyone going to the theater to do so.
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Moviewiseguys: 6.5/10