Everybody's Fine

Although Robert De Niro gives one of his better performances of the last decade, this gimmicky film lets him down. De Niro plays Frank, a widower who, when he discovers his four children aren’t coming to visit as planned, decides to embark on a trip across the country to see them all. Never mind the ridiculousness of a man not calling ahead before embarking on such a trip; the problem here is that the cast of decent actors (including Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale and Drew Barrymore) is given meager material. It’s shocking to see two greats like Rockwell and De Niro sharing the screen with nothing much happening. Director Kirk Jones employs a lame gimmick with Frank seeing and talking to his children (who are now grown) as adolescents. The effect is creepy and not touching.