Director: Jon S. Baird
Writer: Steven Rogers
Stars: Allison Janney, Bryan Cranston, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Synopsis: As the Smart family wrestle with their over-sized dreams, they come to realize that the struggle to find your voice and your place in the world can happen no matter what stage of life you’re in.
Most of us grew up with a kid like Les (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) in our class. He’s smart, talented, and so utterly full of himself. This kid we all knew is convinced they’re better than everyone else and that one place, the place they can be themselves, typically New York, sometimes L.A., will be nothing but sunshine and rainbows because everyone there will be convinced and enraptured of their superiority.
That’s where a lot of Steven Rogers’ script for Everything’s Going to Be Great will let you down. Les is never going to learn that other people exist and deserve just as much humanity and space as he does. He’s never going to have a humbling moment. In fact, several of his teachable moments he turns into moments that benefit him. Yes, we have sympathy for him because he is bullied and because of a tragedy that happens in the film, but that only goes so far.
The rest of the film only goes so far as well because while the first portion is amusing and enjoyably silly, the second portion is marred by an unexpected tragedy. The film becomes maudlin, then slips nearer to grand melodrama. The film tries to make the swing toward dark comedy, but falls flat because its turning point is completely unexpected, and not in a good way. There is still humor in this second portion, but the tragedy that overhangs it sucks all the air out of it.
The only reason to watch Everything is Going to be Great is its two lead adults. Bryan Cranston, as Buddy Smart, is loveable and Cranston’s impeccable comedic timing is on full display. There is something charming about the way Cranston plays every scene. Even when Buddy’s being obstinate or obtuse with his family, he’s got this gleam in his eye that makes you want to nod along with him until you’re as excited as he is. On the other side is Allison Janney as Macy Smart. Janney is precise with her timing as well, but her performance bears far more emotional weight. Macy is a more developed character than Buddy, as her inner life is more prominent than Buddy’s. The way that Janney easily and never unbelievably balances the depth and the humor of Macy is what makes her such a great actress to watch.
In one of the better scenes of the second portion of the film, this acting and well-developed character arc is on display in a unique way. Macy is at a low point in her life. She has always had a faith in God, but she’s struggling at this point. As she stands in church, hymnal open, fellow parishioners warbling through “The Old Rugged Cross,” Macy slowly decides she needs a break from God. She sings with the others at first, then stops. She slowly closes the hymnal and holds it at her side as she looks straight ahead. This feeling of loss and dejection plays so well with the devotion to faith all around Macy. It isn’t a film where Macy is pressured to reassert her beliefs, but it is a film that takes the time to understand doubt in one who was once so faithful.
In spite of its annoying theater kid focal character, Everything’s Going to Be Great has several laugh out loud moments and works as a character study for someone who feels she’s been in the background of her life. It lacks joy in its second portion, but that doesn’t mean it lacks depth. It just means we wish the filmmakers could have found a way to have both without feeling like the rug was pulled from under us. If you’re looking for a really quirky family dramedy, this one misses the mark. Though, it might be worth your time if you enjoy watching Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston do excellent character work.
