The Upside of Anger
New Line Cinema | Release Date: March 11, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
10
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
I liked these characters precisely because they were not designed to be likable -- or, more precisely, because they were likable in spite of being exasperating, unorganized, self-destructive and impervious to good advice. Read full review
100
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
In "Upside" Allen's marble face acts as the pressure-cooker lid on a hilarious hissy fit. Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter Travers
A fiercely funny human comedy with jokes that sting and leave marks. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
In making such an appealing movie about characters who are usually swept under the Hollywood rug, Binder does us all a service. Read full review
88
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Original, unfailingly entertaining marital-breakup movie. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Allen turns the character into a tour de force that unleashes an unexpected comedy about compassion and self-loathing. Read full review
80
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Increasingly exhibits a desire to amuse and distract rather than go deep, which ultimately generates disappointment in light of its announced intentions. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
One senses that this is an intensely personal project for Binder, who is not as forgiving as he might be toward the mercurial mother. Still, the film is carried by Costner and Allen, who project a chemistry so incrementally built on reluctant camaraderie, they almost seem like siblings. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
A squarely suburban movie with a distinctly bourgeois-shaped window on the world, but it's genuine and exceptionally well observed. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
If Allen owns The Upside of Anger, she is generous enough to loan it to Costner, who, despite the dim, glazed eyes, is more alive here than he's been in years. Read full review
80
The New YorkerDavid Denby
As this matron on the loose, Allen is rancorously funny. Read full review
80
EmpireIan Nathan
Compelling and honest with flashes of dark humour which makes this a meaty comedy drama. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The Upside of Anger belongs to Joan Allen (for whom director/screenwriter Mike Binder developed the project). Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The Upside of Anger is overly therapized, yet Costner and Allen show you what it means not just to play a role but to inhabit it. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Wondrous performances. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Joan Allen, for whom the role was written, combines severity, which she has often played before, with such levity and verve that she lifts the whole film on the wings of Terry's wrath.
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
What's best about "Upside" is its gonzo-sitcom craziness, a situation that lends itself to enjoyable performances. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
This loses focus and begins to get a little soggy and moralistic toward the end, but on the whole it's a sensitive and well-observed comedy that's especially adept at handling the characters' rage. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
The film never earns the irony of the title or offers anything profound in its observations of fractured family dynamics in an atmosphere of lingering resentment, but Allen and Costner enrich and elevate the film and give the growth of their characters a hard-earned gravitas. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The primary upside to The Upside of Anger is the presence of Joan Allen in the lead role. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
Binder has allowed Allen, a brilliant actress, to go overboard with Terry's obnoxiousness, just as Brooks (his apparent role model) did with Téa Leoni in "Spanglish." Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Costner does things he hasn't done in years: He's funny and playful; he laughs and cracks jokes; and he doesn't look like he's carrying the weight of the universe on his shoulders. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Binder has written himself a scene-stealing supporting role as Shep, sleazeball producer. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The film's outsized ambitions are deceptive: Everything here is less than meets the eye. Read full review
60
The New York TimesDana Stevens
A seriously flawed movie wrapped around two nearly perfect performances. Read full review
60
Film ThreatBob Westal
A reasonably intelligent timekiller. Read full review
60
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
The two leading actors in The Upside of Anger are so good that their performances, even more than the story they are in, keep us interested. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
What's lacking in The Upside of Anger is a steady sense that we're watching real people cope with real, jolting emotions. Read full review
50
SlateDavid Edelstein
A climactic twist that's among the stupidest I've ever seen-almost up there with another Costner movie, "No Way Out," and "The Life of David Gale." Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
It's a bizarre but engaging fling. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
It's the men in ''Upside" who speak all the truth. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
The two fantastic performances by Allen and Costner that anchor The Upside of Anger are the reason to see this contemporary drama. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
As contrived and pretentious as its title. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Meant to explore anger, all this picture does is manufacture it. Read full review
30
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
It feels like a retread of several better movies, with a nastier, more bitter edge. Read full review
20
Village VoiceJessica Winter
The film has exhausted itself with fits of glib hysteria long before its truly stupefying final twist, a stunning betrayal of audience trust. Read full review
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