Full Review

In Mike Binder's "The Upside of Anger" (New Line), a beautifully acted, droll, and, ultimately, profoundly moving comedy-drama set in a Detroit suburb, Terry is an upper-class wife just deserted by her husband who has gone abroad with his Swedish secretary without so much as a word. Now, she finds herself an embittered alcoholic.

Though even in the best of times probably not the most nurturing mom, Terry is left to raise their four almost-grown daughters (Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell and Alicia Witt), and spends her days with the shades drawn imbibing in solitude, and feeling sorry for herself.

Along comes her neighbor, Denny, a burned-out but affable baseball player-turned-DJ (Kevin Costner in one of his best roles). He has always loved her from afar, and is incredulous that the husband has walked out. He offers to spend time with Terry, even if it means becoming her drinking companion; their friendship blossoms into a physical relationship, though Terry is responding mainly out of loneliness and perhaps even revenge against her husband.

Denny truly cares for her and becomes a surrogate father to the girls, each of whom has her own story. There's Hadley (Witt), the eldest, who's graduating from college, but keeping a secret from her mother: She has a boyfriend and, in fact, is engaged and (even worse) already pregnant. Then there's Emily (Russell), who loves ballet, and feels her mother strongly disapproves of her, an emotion that will lead to grave consequences.

There's Andy (Christensen), who wants to forgo college and work in media production. With Denny's help, she secures a job as a production assistant at his radio station, but then falls for the predatory advances of Shep, Denny's producer (played by Binder himself). And finally, Popeye (Wood), the youngest and the film's narrator, who develops a crush on a sensitive boy at school who eventually informs her he's gay, and declines her bold (or naive) offer to experiment.

Louisa May Alcott's March girls they're not, but they are a loving group, minor bickering aside, who admirably support each other.

The multiple plotlines are well delineated, right until the bittersweet -- and genuinely surprising -- twist at the end.

Binder also wrote the script for this sharply observant spin on the nature of anger. His leisurely paced but well-structured film has some of the quirky naturalism of James L. Brooks' "Spanglish" and Sam Mendes' "American Beauty," and the Terry-Denny relationship something akin to that of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give."

Binder mixes the comic and serious elements with a sure hand, intercutting the story with the occasional film and news clips of hatred's ramifications on a global scale, a touch which can be heavy-handed in some films, but here makes its point with just the right understatement.

Allen surpasses anything she has ever done with a mercurial performance that is a pleasure to watch. She runs the gamut from hard as nails, wallowing in self-pity, to caring mother and lover.

Costner is tremendously appealing. Paunchy and grizzled, he emanates kindness and selfless devotion to Terry and the girls.

There's an admirable underpinning of tolerance throughout. Even when her daughters take the occasional misstep, Terry -- for all her prickliness -- demonstrates a love of her offspring that holds her back from harsh reprimands, though in the case of daughter Andy's questionable liaison with Shep this doesn't stop Terry from slugging him at Hadley's wedding.

"The Upside of Anger" imparts a strong moral about the destructive nature of misplaced animosity, obvious as that sentiment might seem to be, and ultimately is a touchingly strong affirmation of love and family. And it's intelligent adult fare, as too few films are these days, even if there is a preponderance of salty language.

The film contains a permissive attitude towards premarital sex, rough, crude, and profane language, a few brief sexual situations, alcohol and fleeting drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.