What a Bargain

"Everything Must Go"

It is said by actors that doing comedy is much harder than drama.  It takes real talent to make an audience laugh.  For an actor like Will Ferrel, I'd like think it's the complete opposite.  I quite enjoyed his performance in Stranger Than Fiction because he wasn't acting like his usual zany self.  Ferrel showed me his serious side and it paid off.  He was able to convey a range of emotions as an actor that was not of his usual shtick.  In Everything Must Go he once again takes on a serious role that may not bring in the big box office grosses but more importantly expands his résumé and shows us that he is challenging himself as an actor.

Nick Halsey's (Ferrel) alcoholic relapse ends up costing him his job as a well-respected and highly paid salesman at the company he's been with for over fifteen years.  To add to Nick's woes he comes home to find that all his personal belongings have been thrown out on the front lawn by his wife who is no longer living at their home.  What a bummer.  Detective Frank Garcia (Michael Pena,) who happens to be Nick's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor gives him an ultimatum.  He has three days to sober up and sell off all his stuff because living on the lawn forever is not a legal option.  Nick enlists the help of neighborhood teen, Kenny (Christopher C.J. Wallace,) to help set up and organize a yard sale.

Everything Must Go is an incredibly strong character driven piece featuring a fantastic performance from Ferrel.  I did not feel as though he was forcing something that was not there.  Everything that he was doing as an actor came off as genuine and believable.  My sympathies were with his character all the way.  Nick is not a mean drunk, although he does moments of anger.  There are several good scenes between him and Kenny as well as Samantha (Rebecca Hall,) a neighbor from across the street.  Ferrel's emotions are heartfelt and honest.  I knew there had to be more to the actor than what I usually saw from him.  

Even though there really isn't much story to the film it does come off as a good reflective piece.  Nick is able to look back on his life and see the man used to be, where he is now, and what needs to happen in his future.  Again, all of this is being portrayed by Ferrel beautifully.  This is a character that is relatable in one way or another because even though he has made some mistakes and has his share of problems, in no way is Nick a bad guy.  I've always found it difficult to feel sympathy for characters who are alcoholics.  With this film I didn’t feel that way towards Nick.  I wanted him to succeed and turn his life around because he conveyed a sense of urgency to me.

Well-acted and sufficiently written, Everything Must Go comes off as the perfect film for Ferrel.  He meets the challenge of showing us that he does have some real acting chops when it comes to doing a dramatic role.  Despite what the box office may reflect I would like him to continue to keep adding more serious roles to his résumé.  I'm not however saying that's all he should do from now on.  Every once in a while would be nice though.  If you enjoyed Ferrel's performance in Stranger Than Fiction then this is the right film for you.  If your vision is limited to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers, that’s too bad.  Don't discount Everything Must Go just because all the other Will Ferrel flicks are gone from the shelf.  Pick this one up, it's quite the bargain.