The Upside of Anger

Terry Wolfmeyer's husband has left her for another woman, and she is raising their four daughters on her own in a comfortable suburban home. Angry and increasingly dependent on alcohol, she finds an unexpected companion in Denny Davies, a former baseball player who lives next door and now works in radio. As Denny becomes a regular presence in the household, the daughters come to rely on him too, and Terry's feelings about how close he has grown to her family begin to complicate the relationship. The four girls, meanwhile, are navigating their own troubles with school, romance and growing up.

Mike Binder wrote and directed the film, which followed his debut Blankman and preceded Man About Town, Reign Over Me and Black or White. Joan Allen plays Terry, with Kevin Costner as Denny. Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt and Evan Rachel Wood appear as the daughters. The production had a budget of 12 million dollars and took about 28 million dollars worldwide.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.8 from around 24,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.3 from roughly 300 votes. The larger IMDb sample points to a reasonably steady level of approval, if not enthusiasm.