Parents' Guide to

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Vulgar, stressful movie is a chore, despite worthy message.

Movie R 2014 83 minutes
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
August 29, 2014
age 16+

Worth a watch...

The Angriest Man in Brooklyn was a fairly decent watch. One of Robin Williams' last films, sadly, I hate to see him go. His performance was spot on, but absolutely not recommended for children of any age under 16. Williams plays Henry, who is extremely angry for no good reason. He often loses his temper to anything that gets in his way. While getting a checkup at the Doctors, he meets a nice physician called Sharon (Mila Kunis) who is taking the place of his regular doctor, which causes problems for Henry who only has faith in his regular doctor. When Henry learns he's only got 90 minutes to live due to a brain aneurysm, he panics, but makes a heartwarming decision to make things right with his dysfunctional family. When things seem to go more down hill, his stress gets the best of him as he heads over to the Brooklyn bridge to jump, but Sharon's right behind him and will stop at nothing to help set him straight. Can she change his mind in time? The story is not bad, a few laughs here & there, a couple of teary eyed moments. I think it could have been much funnier though! Language is very strong from many f-words and uses of sh*t to name calling words like c*nt, p*ss, Goddamn, hell and prick. Violence revolves around death including suicide, has car chases, a man sprayed in the face with mace, lots of shouting and arguing that's sometimes hurtful, a car crash though not severe. Sexual content shows a man thrusting behind a woman with some moaning sounds but no nudity, some sex talk throughout, a wife admits she cheats on her husband right to his face, a man tries to get his wife to sleep with him with some graphic terms said. Drugs include pill popping from a young doctor who seems to always be stressed, some light drinking. Okay for 16 and up.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Henry Altmann (Robin Williams) is really angry. A typical bad day in Brooklyn starts off when a cab crashes into his car, but things get much worse when he goes to the doctor. His regular physician is out, and a young substitute, Sharon Gill (Mila Kunis) -- who's been popping pills to deal with stress -- tells Henry that he has a brain aneurysm and has only 90 minutes to live. Henry tries to decide what to do with his final hour and a half and realizes what a mess he's made of his relationships with his brother (Peter Dinklage), his wife (Melissa Leo), and his son (Hamish Linklater). When all his plans to put things right fail, he heads toward the Brooklyn Bridge to jump. But Sharon is hot on his trail and hopes to set things right.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (2):

Amazingly, THE ANGRIEST MAN IN BROOKLYN is the first film in 12 years by director Phil Alden Robinson, of Field of Dreams and Sneakers; sadly, his return lands with a crashing thud. The storyline is old and stale, and, rather than finding a fresh angle, it seems forced. The movie feels more like it's stalling for time rather than filling itself with humanity and redemption.

And the actors earn our pity rather than our sympathy. Williams does his very best in his role, but both his tantrums and his heartstrings are played off key. Despite having the second-biggest role, Kunis has only a few character traits to work with and generates no depth. In even smaller roles, the rest of the talented actors suffer the same fate. Bottom line? Robinson fails to find a balance between the dark comedy and the tragedy, and most of the time he settles on a tone that's uncomfortably anxious and frantic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Angriest Man in Brooklyn's overall message. Did the main character make good choices in his 90 minutes? Can a movie like this have both a positive message and a negative role model?

  • In this movie, sex is treated as both something to help deal with stress and pain and as a loving connection with another person. How can it be both things? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • Why does Sharon use pills? How do they help or hinder her?

  • What would you do if you only had 90 minutes left?

Movie Details

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