Review of Everything Must Go (1996) by Papp J — 17 Nov 2011

This is a restrained, natural little indie film. It's based on a Raymond Carver story, and you can feel his low-key, unforced style built into the movie. It has some very good, undemonstrative acting, and is very watchable, though it perhaps could have hit a bit harder at the end.

Will Ferrell plays a guy whose life completely falls apart. A longtime alcoholic, he has finally hit rock bottom when he loses his job on the same day his wife leaves him, moves all of his stuff out of the house, and has all the locks changed. Unable to go anywhere or do anything, he takes up residence among all his stuff on his front lawn. Subplots involve his friendships with a young kid who decides to help him sell his stuff, and with the beautiful new neighbor who is waiting for her husband to arrive in town.

Ferrell gives a really excellent, subdued performance here. The movie is not by any means your typical Ferrell broad comedy - while it does have its funny moments, most of these are generated by situations and reactions and not by anything Ferrell specifically does. This does effectively prove that he's a fine dramatic actor, capable of nuance and understatement and vulnerability. You really invest in the character. Hopefully Will Ferrell keeps this dramatic side of his career alive. Christopher Jordan Wallace (apparently, the son of Notorious B.I.G.) also gives a very good and subtle performance as the kid who helps him out. He's smart without being unrealistically clever, instinctively sympathetic without being maudlin, and practical. The character isn't developed outside of his relationship with the Ferrell character, but we get a strong enough sense of him from that. Rebecca Hall is good as the neighbor, though her character exists mostly to react to the Ferrell character. Michael Pena is fine as the main character's AA sponsor, and Laura Dern gets a very nice scene as an old friend.

Throughout, the movie develops very naturally. There's no hysterics or overwrought drama here: Will Ferrell is not in a glass case of emotion. The character deals with everything that happens to him in a very matter-of-fact way. This approach keeps the movie from ever feeling cheap. However, it does have yet another instance of one of those endings-that-isn't-really-an-ending that seem to be so popular these days. Not to spoil anything, but you really end up invested in the character and want to know what will become of him, but the movie isn't telling. This isn't the most ground-breaking movie, but it is engaging while it lasts and marks an important development in the career of the invaluable Will Ferrell.