Everybody's Fine

Robert De Niro has picked some interesting projects lately. In a nutshell, this movie goes from one awkward conversation to the next. It is a slow-moving family drama. The good news however is that every character is real, believable, and there may be someone here for each of us to relate to. Oh, and nevermind that it's a huge commercial for Amtrak and Greyhound.

De Niro plays a recent widower who is totally out of touch with his kids. As one of his sons puts it "People are polite. They don't always tell the truth." He has been told pretty much what he wants to hear. When his kids don't show up for a family weekend, he goes on a cross-country trip to see them.

Kate Beckinsdale, Sam Rockwell, and Drew Barrymore play his kids. They talk to each other but not really to their Dad. Sometimes it's like that. The payoff comes an hour and 15 minutes into the story when they finally get around the table for the first time if only fictionally. Everybody's not fine. But, I believe the best way to describe the ending of this movie is - bittersweet.

Watch this movie with someone who either needs to feel better about their family situation or needs a reality check to see how much of the rest of the country lives.

Nothing But the Truth

Political thriller? Not quite. Court room drama? Hardly. This movie does not fit into most of the typical genre categories. It is clearly a drama, but it's also more than that.

Kare Beckinsale does perhaps her best work to date. Most of us first met her in the film adaption of "Much Ado About Nothing" in which she plays the lovely Hero. Since then she has done a variety of projects with a range of success. Her, she captures our heart and spirit by sticking to her values.

Matt Dillon plays a wonderfully strong "country lawyer" who is assigned as a Special Prosecutor in Beckinsale's character's case. These two are equally matched and determined.

Between stands a very interesting character played by Alan Alda. He seems equally concerned with his expensive attire and his client's case. As it turns out his best work begins when he stops charging for it.

So, who is the source who gives away the identity of the CIA operative who is married to the Ambassador? Who is the person who, by giving this info, leads indirectly to the murder of the CIA spy? See if you can figure it out before the end of the movie. Count how many times you get it wrong and let me know.

Watch this movie with someone who understands what it means to be persecuted for one's principals.