Every Day

(2010 d. Richard Levine)

6 out of 10

The trailer played before The King's Speech. Family crises. Disfunction. Infidelity. But halfway through the preview it started to take a slightly different turn. Maybe this wasn't just another cynical view of middle America. And the cast was impressive - Leiv Schreiber, Helen Hunt, Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino.

Unfortuantely it wasn't quite the original, different film that I was hoping for. There are a lot of movie cliches that if done well can provoke new, refreshing observations or emotions. As if the familiarity of the situation let's viewers focus more on character and the subtleties of the acting. But if done poorly, it's just cliche. This movie falls somewhere in the middle.

Schreiber and Hunt are having marriage challenges. He's overworked at his job writing for a sleazy cable tv drama (Levine wrote for Nip/Tuck), as well as advances from his sexy co-worker (and of course, they'll have to work together...). She's stressed by the illness of her depressive father, who because of her daughterly "guilt" has brought him home to live with them. Their eldest son also just came out that surprise - he's gay and wants to start pushing the boundaries of parental discipline.

I really like the acting in this movie. It's small, understated, and realistic. They all seem like a real family, and the everyday occurences (breakfast, school, etc.) are authentic. I was empathetic to their struggles, and hopeful that they would pull themselves together and make this family work. I also liked that the director really seemed to have a point - there was a reason he wanted this movie to exist. And he genuinely loved his characters.

But the tone of the movie fluctuates a little too much. From serious drama at home, to comedy at the office - from complete naturalness to somewhat overwritten snappy dialogue and comebacks. And there aren't any surprises in the plot. We always know where we are and exactly where we're going.

As a first feature it's an accomplishment. Somewhat modest, but with a great cast and a competent technical team. I just wish we could have a movie family drama without repeating the same Independent film cliches.

Every Day