Everything Must Go

I’ve never been partial to Will Ferrell comedies. He was my least favorite part of Zoolander and Wedding Crashers (I maintain that Jack Black would have been much funnier), and I have never had any interest in seeing Elf or its sequel, Step-Brothers, or Blades of Glory. But I’ve heard good things about Stranger Than Fiction – so when I saw the trailer for Everything Must Go, I was intrigued. After all, I love Kevin Kline’s dramatic work, but A Fish Called Wanda simply isn’t my thing.

Nick Halsey is not really a good guy, but people like him. He’s drinks, he lies, he shirks responsibility, he’s looking out for himself, but he does have a heart, albeit a broken one. In one day Nick loses his job, his wife, and his dignity. Trying to get into his house, Nick finds the locks and codes have been changed. He presses the intercom: “Hi – are you in there? If you are, could this happen another day?” With his entire life, his shortcomings and failures displayed on his front lawn, Nick is given five days to regroup. After that, he can no longer claim to be hosting a yard sale and he’ll be arrested, and by the man who happens to be his AA sponsor. Instead, Nick recruits Kenny – the kid riding his bicycle in front of Nick’s house – to help with the yard sale. Nick ends up making a friend, and learning how to pick up and move on.

Farrell is actually superb in the movie. He’s authentic and pathetic and proud and sad and I think both he and his character Nick genuinely enjoy people. As Kenny, Christopher C.J. Wallace is a find. His deadpan interest in Nick’s situation is right on pitch, and he’s really able to share the screen with Farrell. Like most movies today Everything Must Go is half an hour overlong; It’s not surprising to learn that the script is based on a very short story by Raymond Carver. It has the palm trees and odd neighbors and melancholy tone of Henry Poole is Here, and it shares the film’s heart. What do you do when your life as you have known it is over?

There’s a lot more to Farrell than the big studios would have us believe. Maybe if we give Seth Rogen fifteen years, he’ll earn the life experience to share Farrell’s range. In any case, while one might be tempted to pass over Everything Must Go, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There’s some treasure to be found in this one.