The Upside of Anger

Two friends wonder if there might be more between them when their lives both take a left turn in this romantic comedy. Terry (Joan Allen) is a middle-aged housewife and mother of four teenaged daughters and gets the shock of her life when her husband, without a word of warning, leaves them behind, ...more

Joan Allen's long 'n lean neck should receive a credit in The Upside Of Anger. The actress is in her 40s and remains a knockout, but her slender, swan-like neck is given a serious workout as she emphatically cranes, grinfucks her family, and swallows her wounded pride as Terry, a Midwestern mom of 4 beautiful and blonde girls, who finds herself trying to pick up the pieces after her husband goes MIA, presumably to Sweden with his secretary, without so much as a goodbye letter. This dry ...more

Joan Allen harnesses her often cold screen presence to great effect in much of The Upside of Anger. Her alcoholic über-bitch is a force of nature that Allen keeps grounded in real emotions. She is well-matched by Kevin Costner as a low-key rogue full of both selfishness and self-disgust. Their scenes together have a combination of ease and discomfort that could have held together an entire movie. Sadly, director and writer Mike Binder blindsides the audience with a twist ending that undermines ...more