Everything Must Go

Dan Rush’s “Everything Must Go” (2011) begins with its protagonist, Nick (Will Ferrell), losing his job, only later to find that his belongings have been thrown out of the house by his spouse. The opening act is sudden, and there is no padding to ease Nick’s pain. As it turns out, these two events set the tone for things to follow.

Ferrell’s character Nick has reached rock bottom, both professionally and personally. With no job and his marriage falling apart, Nick settles in rather comfortably outside in his front yard. Nick’s personal belongings symbolize a stage in his life where materialism holds no value amidst a personal storm. In fact, Nick is not at all worried about the money and his future livelihood. He lives by each passing day, and his life is laid bare to us in his front yard; his possessions are the only things remaining in his scattered life. In order to start a new phase in his life, Nick decides to get rid of his stuff.

We sense Nick’s failures, as we learn about his recurring alcohol problem. Despite the failures, Nick is not a bad person, and we see the warmth of his generosity on a few occasions; it is his way of letting go. Nick’s sedate, minimalist approach to the entire situation scares us to some extent because he hides his emotions rather well, without revealing much about his personal quandary. As such, Nick’s unresponsive demeanor indicates a reflective state of mind--a man trying to reflect on his failures. We are left to wonder: Is Nick trying to absorb the shock? Or are we slowly getting a glimpse of Nick’s introvert character? Nick mainly interacts with three principal characters: his sponsor, a lady from the neighborhood, and a young boy who helps sell his stuff.

Nick meets the boy, Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace), and he offers Kenny a deal to sell his stuff. Kenny is a strong-willed character who possesses a strong work ethic. He is a quick learner and applies newly learnt marketing skills to sell Nick’s stuff. He is an honest kid who doesn’t expect much from Nick and genuinely wants to help him. He understands the trade and outsmarts Nick on a few occasions. For Nick, Kenny is the only hope who can bring him back from the brink of total depression. Nick then meets his new neighbor, Samantha (Rebecca Hall), who is pregnant with her first child. Being new to the city, Samantha hesitatingly interacts with Nick, and both of them indulge in thought-provoking discussions about life. But the two share one thing in common: the absence of a spouse in their marital life. Nick and Samantha are leading hollow lives, and their brief exchanges provide an inside view on their marriages, although details are not revealed.

The film is composed of quiet moments, with little dialogue. The characters don’t talk much, and the dialogue occasionally ends rather abruptly. In addition, the characters are taken directly from a Wes Anderson film: quiet, quirky, and dislocated in their domestic spaces. Nonetheless, the director, Dan Rush, is able to bring out worthy performances from his cast. Will Ferrell is simply amazing, as is Rebecca Hall in her brief appearance; and newcomer Wallace shines as well.

In spite of good performances, however, the film has a number of flaws. The script invests heavily in developing Nick’s character, and only some of it works well. Nick is present in every scene, and yet his character seems distant. We don’t feel completely invested in Nick’s emotions, because the script sheds no light on Nick’s past, although we see implied references. Metaphorically, the film’s idea is unique, but halfway through it, the filmmakers lose the plot. We see Nick getting up in the morning, getting ready to sell his stuff, and the cycle repeats every day. Some of it feels repetitive. The middle act slows down the pace, as we are waiting for the story to progress further. Nonetheless, the plot advances once Nick starts meeting people in the neighborhood.

 “Everything Must Go” is a tricky project for both Will Ferrell and the studio. Ferrell, who has performed in mainstream comedy movies, takes another challenging, nonmainstream role since “Stranger than Fiction.” He is instantly likeable and completely convincing. This is wherein the problem lies for the studio, since marketing this film was a challenge. Considering Ferrells’s popularity, Lionsgate might have been too conservative in pushing the film. It does bring up interesting questions about Ferrell’s roles. Should Ferrell be marketed as a mainstream comedian? Or does his place belong in offbeat movies now? What is the right balance in marketing this type of movie? Nonetheless, as a result of mixed marketing efforts, the film tanked at the box office with meager earnings of $2,500,000 on a $5,000,000 budget.

Ignoring minor issues, as a film “Everything Must Go” represents the satisfying symbolic journey of a man who is on the brink of losing everything, but emotionally is not going to give up that easily. Indeed, there is something to be cherished in Ferrell’s idiosyncratic performance.

Video:

Lionsgate releases “Everything Must Go” in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with an MPEG-4/AVC codec. Right from the start, the 1080p transfer is crisp and beautiful. Mostly the film is shot outdoors, with a lively color palette. The colors are bold, with solid blacks. Being shot on 35mm, occasionally, you notice a nice trace of grain, making the transfer more filmic. Both the close-ups and long shots have remarkable detail, and sharpness is consistent throughout. The skin tones are realistic and never appear washed out.

Audio:

Mostly a front-channel driven affair, the film’s lossless track captures the ambient moments very well; you hear the surrounding noises during the nighttime scenes. The dialogue is fairly sharp throughout, and the audio level is never an issue. The rear channels are triggered by the film’s soundtrack. The track doesn’t have loud, explosive moments, but on its own, the track perfectly represents the film’s sonic texture.

Extras:

First off, we get a regular audio commentary track with director Dan Rush and actor Michael Pena. The duo talk about the script and story, but mostly this is merely a passable track. Up next, “In Character with Will Ferrell” finds Will Ferrell discussing Nick’s character in the film. After that, we get a regular behind-the-scenes featurette. Finally, we get a set of deleted scenes, some of which provide extra insight on the characters.

Parting Thoughts:

I have never doubted Will Ferrell’s acting talent, but, unfortunately, his roles in the past leave a lot to be desired. He has shown glimpses of his acting credentials in “Stranger than Fiction,” and fortunately, “Everything Must Go” elevates his performance to the next level. The film has a quiet and somber mood, but it never tends to overwhelm the viewer. Obviously, the film has its flaws, and some of it can easily be ignored. If you are a Will Ferrell fan, then sit back and savor Nick’s introspective journey.