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'EVERYTHING MUST GO': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Will Ferrell tries his hand at more serious comedy-drama again (after the likes of 2006's 'STRANGER THAN FICTION') with this tale of a relapsed alcoholic who loses his job and wife on the same day and resorts to living on his front lawn. It's based on the short story 'Why Don't You Dance' by Raymond Carver and is written and directed by first time filmmaker Dan Rush. It co-stars Rebecca Hall, Michael Pena, Stephen Root, Laura Dern and Christopher Jordan Wallace (the son of Faith Evans and the late rapper 'The Notorious B.I.G.') in his second film. The movie is funny as well as depressing and emotional. It's a nice step in Ferrell's career, for exploring broader range.

Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who's recently fell off the wagon. As the film opens he's fired from his job for apparently having an affair with a new employee and then left by his wife for the same reason. He's also locked out of his home (after his wife changes the locks), with all of his belongings left on the front lawn. His credit cards have all been canceled as well and his company car is repossessed by his former employers. With no money and no place to go he decides to camp out on his front lawn with all his stuff. His neighbors complain of him being a public nuisance though and he's reported to the police. Thanks to city law his cop buddy Frank (Pena) is able to give him five days to hold a yard sale before he has to kick him off the property. While trying to sell his stuff Nick befriends a new neighbor across the street (Hall) and a local neighborhood kid (Wallace).

Like I said the movie is surprisingly dramatic for a Will Ferrell movie and he pulls off his performance impressively. The material isn't too much of a stretch for him given that it's still pretty comedic but it's definitely honest and set in reality (unlike the majority of his films, which are mostly slapstick) and there's some pretty hard hitting drama at times as well, especially towards the end. The movie still has a sizable amount of laughs though so traditional Ferrell fans shouldn't be disappointed. That's why the movie is the perfect step for Ferrell (to test out his range). A gigantic leap in to serious drama would be to sudden and the film works perfectly as is. A smart move for Ferrell and a decent film results because of it.

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Everything Must Go is probably Will Ferrell's first truly well done film in years. The Other Guys was pretty good, Step Brothers was funny in parts, but this one totally takes the cake for being a great drama, and schools anyone who thinks Will Ferrell can't do anything but comedy. Though I doubt fans of Old School will think highly of this.

The plot isn't too much, but it sustains a film. Will Ferrell is Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who has had one too many alcohol-related episodes and has finally lost his job. He returns home to find out his wife has changed all the locks on the house, and has moved all of his belongings to the front yard. Frustrated and hopeless, he decides to life on his front lawn, and make the best out of a horrible situation.

He spends his day sucking down Blue Ribbons beers, until he is met by a chubby adolescent named Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace, the son of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.). Kenny's mom takes care of an elderly woman, leaving him free to roam the streets on his bike. Kenny and Nick strike up an odd, but warm relationship with each other and when Nick is informed by his AA sponsor (Pena) that he must move all his stuff off his lawn in three days, he works with Kenny to help them hold a big yard sale.

A sub-plot involves Nick getting acquainted with the woman across the street who has just moved to the neighborhood and is awaiting her husband's arrival. The relationship isn't as strong or as well-crafted as the relationship between Nick and Kenny, but it is still a solid one.

It's also noteworthy that we never see Nick's wife or the woman's husband anywhere in the film. We don't need to, though. The plot works fine without them, and I believe that if we saw Nick's wife in the film we'd get too many arguments between the two which may result in (a) believability being low and (b) a possibility for Ferrell's comedy side to sneak in. We don't need comedy here. We get it, but in tiny, miniscule doses. There is almost nothing funny about this situation.

Once again, this proves that Will Ferrell is a great character actor, and doesn't have to get drunk, shout his lines, or get in goofy fights to be successful. Unfortunately, Everything Must Go's overall performance wasn't impressive, and it may be a long time before Ferrell does something like this ever again.

Not everything here is perfect. The worst flaw is the ending because there is no emotional payoff, and nothing to make our experience anymore than just enjoyable. I wanted more than enjoyable. I haven't read the short story "Why Don't You Dance?" by Raymond Carver, so I'm not sure of any similarities both this and the story share. Everything Must Go is a good film in general, but a great film in terms of Ferrell, who is essentially putting on a one-man-show for more than half the film.

Starring: Will Ferrell, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Laura Dern, and Michael Pena. Directed by: Dan Rush.

OK, maybe not an Oscar, but definitely some kind of recognition for the performance he gave in this movie. I'll be honest, when I chose this off my streaming service, I was a little hesitant. After all, Ferrell is known for his raucous humor (which I enjoy), but having seen previous reviews for this film - I knew it wasn't "Anchor Man" material. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Depth, great acting (by most, if not all of the cast), impeccably well placed music - and a story that most everyone can relate to.

This is well worth the 90 mins or so if you have it. Proving once again that comedians can, and do, provide some of the most incredible dramatic performances on film (e.g. Robin Williams, "Good Will Hunting").

Dan Rush's modestly paced 'Everything Must Go' pretty much takes a look at the worst day of Nick Halsey's life and the days that follow where he's left stranded in his lawn. The theme is quite refreshing but even though the movie is tagged a comedy, the humour here is very dry (it does draw a few chuckles) and it felt more like an intense human drama than a comedy. Halsey's situation is depressing and it really makes the viewer want to hate Catherine, even though, the writer tries to make the point that she was justified in treating him that way. But anyway, this is Halsey's story and perhaps to balance the intensity, Rush could have added more quirks. The pacing is quite slow at times but there was never a boring moment. I liked how the director and Ferrell depict Halsey's struggle with alcoholism. However, I felt that the story and characters (especially the supporting ones) could have been further developed. Will Ferrell is excellently restrained which makes Halsey all the more human and easier to relate to. Rebecca Hall is brilliant. Laura Dern has about one scene and she shows the viewer how one scene alone can make an actor stand out. Overall, I wouldn't recommend 'Everything Must Go' to those looking for a comedy. It is an intense humour drama about a man who once had everything and is now forced out of his house and how he struggles and attempts to deal with his problems one step at a time.

Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, who arrives home from being fired from his job to find all his belongings on his front lawn. Nick finds a note on his door from his wife letting him know that she has decided to leave him.

Rapt with despair Nick, who is a recovering alcoholic, starts drinking heavily and camps out on his front with all his possessions. Eventually, Nick befriends one of the kids in his neighborhood, and together they hold a yard sale on his front lawn to sell off everything that he owns.

This is really a story about hitting rock bottom and figuring out a way to start over again. Nick selling off all his belongings becomes cathartic for him as he lets go of his past.

Will Ferrell shows some excellent depth in this film. This was huge departure from his normal roles. He may not have nailed it but I admire the fact that he took so much risk with this role. The movie could worth checking out for that alone.

I really enjoyed Rebecca Hall as the next door neighbor that helps Nick on his path to redemption. She impressed me in Vicky Christina Barcelona and The Town and she does an excellent job on this film as well. I look forward to seeing some of the movies she has coming out next year.

This movie is far from perfect, The pacing is pretty slow, the ending is too abrupt and it lacked some of the emotional punch that it seemed to be striving for. It was an interesting watch however and its worth checking out.