Every Thing Will Be Fine
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Angst-filled drama is surprisingly dull and uninteresting.
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Every Thing Will Be Fine
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Based on 1 parent review
A clean movie with life lessons.
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What's the Story?
EVERY THING WILL BE FINE follows Tomas (James Franco), an aspiring writer whose life is irrevocably changed one winter day after he accidentally strikes two young brothers who are sledding, and only one of the boys survives. Tomas, who was out driving that day after a disagreement with his then-girlfriend, Sara (Rachel McAdams), breaks things off with her. Eventually, he writes a best-seller and enters a serious relationship with grounded single mother Ann (Marie-Josee Croze), a literary editor at Tomas' publishing house -- but he never forgets the accident and even checks in on the grieving mother (Charlotte Gainsbourg) who lost her son under his car. More than a decade after the accident, the surviving son, Christopher (Robert Naylor), now a mature teen, begins to stalk Tomas in hopes of connecting with the man who showed him such compassion, even while being responsible for his brother's death.
Is It Any Good?
Wim Wenders' forgettable drama features a robotic lead performance by Franco, who looks as utterly bored by the material as the audience will be throughout this misguided, disappointing film. There's barely a scene when Tomas looks animated by anything -- grief, anger, love, resignation, happiness. We know what he's supposed to be feeling, but Franco just misses conveying it, either because the writing is off or because his performance is so wooden that he couldn't bother to properly emote -- something we all know he can actually do (when he wants to).
The trio of female supporting characters don't get off much better, because they don't have much to do. McAdams affects a strange, unidentifiable accent as Sara, Tomas' initial girlfriend. Gainsbourg once again plays a grieving mother who's hollowed out by her grief. And Croze's Ann knows something is going on with Tomas, but she's also thrilled to have a stepfather for Mina, her daughter. Unfortunately, Wenders doesn't manage to coax a single outstanding performance from a fine cast. Not only does this drama drag on at two minutes shy of two hours, but it doesn't have much to say, either.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the kind of violence in Every Thing Will Be Fine. Does violence that's not overtly depicted still have an impact?
How does the central tragedy affect Tomas, Christopher, and Kate differently? Is that believable?
Discuss the ways the three women -- Sara, Kate, and Ann -- operate in Tomas' life. What do they symbolize?
How is substance use/abuse depicted here? Are there realistic consequences?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 4, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: June 7, 2016
- Cast: James Franco , Charlotte Gainsbourg , Rachel McAdams
- Director: Wim Wenders
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: IFC Films
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 118 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 30, 2023
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