Everything Must Go 2010

    This film is based on a short story titled Why Don’t You Dance written by Raymond Carvan.  He is an American author and poet.  Nick was once a successful salesman with a happy marriage.  His years of heavy drinking have finally caught up with him.  He's fired from his job and all his possessions are on the front lawn of his house when he gets home.  His wife if fed up and she tossed them all out of the house!!  His policeman friend Frank Garcia advises him that the only way he can live in front of his house is to put up signs that he is having a yard sale. The law will allow him five days.  He enlists the help of a neighborhood kid to help watch his belongings and help with the sale.  Nick intends to sit in his chair, drink beer on lawn for as long as he is able to stay!! 

    There is potential here but there are details left out in the beginning that could diminish your sympathy for Nick.  There are times you wish that Nick would just move forward and get a life!!  The ending is just a fizzle that makes you wonder why you invested any time in this movie?  There is some humor but this is also a serious and sobering movie.  It is about Nick sliding over the brink of life.  There is some swearing and a few brief sexually charged scenes.  LOTS of drinking!!  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

97 min, Drama directed by Dan Rush and written by Raymond Carver and Dan Rush with Will Ferrell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, Rosalie Michaels, Stephen Root, Laura Dern, Glenn Howerton, Argos MacCallum Todd Bryant, Jason Spisak, Tyler Johnstone, Kyle Sharkey, Scott Takeda, Matthew Dearing.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 73% with 133 critics 53% audience with 21,298 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, RollingStone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers, Metacritic 65 out of 100 with 37 critic reviews (positive 25, mixed 12, negative), 6.4 out of 10 with 68 user scores (positive 34, mixed 29, negative 5), Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo age 17+, positive messages 3*, role models 0, violence 2*, sex 3*, language 4*, consumerism 2*, drinking drugs & smoking 4*.

Special Note:  Director Dan Rush asked writer Mr. Carver’s widow Tess Gallagher for her permission before adding to the story and adding additional characters.  Filming was done in Phoenix and Scottsdale Arizona.  Nick is looking through his yearbook and the name of Keith Mosca appears multiple times.  Keith was the art department production designer and art director for this film.