Everything Must Go

Based on Raymond Carver’s short story Why Don’t You Dance?, this debut feature from writer-director Dan Rush marks a change of tone for lead actor Will Ferrell. Although Ferrell has taken dramatic roles before, nothing has matched the pathos of his portrayal of a middle-aged suburban man whose life is crumbling around him. An alcoholic who has slipped off the wagon after six months of sobriety, Nick (Ferrell) is let go from his sales job for a drink-related misdemeanour. Returning home, he finds his wife has left him, changing the locks and throwing his possessions out onto the lawn before she went. Nick’s response is to crack open a beer and bed down amongst the everyday detritus of his life, before discovering that the only way he can be there legally is to hold a yard sale, which buys him a five-day stay of execution. Some help and solace comes from unexpected sources, and there are moments of humour and compassion in Nick’s plight, not least in his encounters with a lonely but savvy kid (CJ Wallace) and a sympathetic new neighbour (Rebecca Hall). But in its unflinching portrayal of a man brought down by his own failings, the film stays close to the spirit of Carver. —Sandra Hebron