Review of film: “EVERYTHING MUST GO”

2011, 05-24:

Review of film:  “EVERYTHING MUST GO”

Sometimes, being “productive” in your job isn’t “ENOUGH”... 

 

...  Nick Halsey (WILL FERRELL) is a Regional Vice President at a company in Arizona.  He’s made a lot of money for them as a salesman, & he’s been paid handsomely for it...

 

...  But, his younger boss calls him in one day & says he’s being LET GO:  he’s missed so much work & caused so many PROBLEMS over his ALCOHOL troubles, the company has decided he must be REPLACED, tho they’ll let him use the company car & the firm’s health benefits for a while...

 

...  Will is “blind-sided” by the news, & so angry that he foolishly behaves in a VENGEFUL way towards the guy who’d dismissed him (which soon comes back to “haunt” him)... 

 

...  When he gets home, he finds he’s been LOCKED-OUT of his fancy house by his wife who’s LEFT him & put lots of his property out on the LAWN--  since she also has gotten tired of his drinking “RELAPSES” over the years...

 

...  How does Will “respond” to all this?--  He gets lots of BEER to drink...  Do you see a “PATTERN” here, Folks?...

 

...  In short order, Will finds he has no credit he can use anymore to get things, & ends up sleeping out (& PASSING out) on his front LAWN...  A cop named Frank Garcia (MICHAEL PENA) comes by, & we learn he’s been a personal “sponsor” of Will in past AA-type recovery efforts...

 

...  While Michael tries to be helpful, he cautions Will he needs to “CLEAN-UP” his act quickly...  But, Will keeps DRINKING his remaining beer supply, & things don’t move much “forward”...

...  At one point, a stocky 12-ish black kid comes riding back & forth on a bike...  His name is Kenny Loftus (CHRISTOPHER JORDAN WALLACE), & --  seeing some baseball-related items on the lawn --, tells Will he’d like to learn to PLAY baseball as a sport (so kids wouldn’t always make fun of him because of his weight & all)...  

...  Chris agrees to “watch” some of Will’s things as Will goes off on some “errands”, & eventually, Will offers to pay him to help him SELL some of the things on the lawn to try to provide some needed money (since his bank funds have been “frozen”)...

...  A young pregnant girl named Samantha (REBECCA HALL) has just moved into the house across the street from Will, waiting for her husband to arrive...  Will starts TALKING to her at one point, & she tries to help him a bit (by letting him use her phone, etc.)...

...  At one stage, Will looks in an old high school yearbook, sees a kind note written by classmate Delilah (LAURA DERN), & he goes out of his way to CONTACT her, hoping it might bring some “peace” & warmth into his life...

...  Will the YARD SALES be successful for Will?...  Will he make efforts to teach Chris some BASEBALL fundamentals?...  Will he be able to help REBECCA with some of what she is going thru with her husband?...

...  How will things go between Laura & Will?...  What big SECRETS has Michael been keeping from Will, & will that impact his life?...  Is it likely that Will will be able to truly start “over” again?...

...  This is being sold to the public as a “comedy”.  It certainly has a number of comedic “elements”--  but, overall, it’s mainly a DRAMA about a man facing some HARD choices in life because of his previous (& continuing) screw-ups...

...  I found it to be one of the very BEST things Will Farrell has done in a long time.  It’s not designed to be “showy” so much as “real”, & it’s very well-acted by ALL involved...

...  It’s a good little movie, & I’m thus rating it at 7.5 of 10 stars...

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