As much as I like his untempered, explosive rage, I love Will Farell’s quiet despair even more. In the movies, I mean. In Ferrell’s new film Everything Must Go, lapsed alcoholic Nick Halsey gets fired and suffers bullying at the hands of snot-nose teens, only to arrive home to discover his wife wants a divorce. So get the ball rolling, she’s gone ahead and dumped all of his worldly possessions on the front lawn. Time for an epic, emotionally grueling yard sale! Flanked by co-stars Laura Dern, Rebecca Hall and Michael Peña, Ferrell has his mellow Stranger Than Fiction game face on, and my tear ducts are on notice already. The film is based on the Raymond Carver story “”Why Don’t You Dance,” which means they almost certainly had to change the ending so audience members wouldn’t break down in the theaters. Based on the scene depicting Ferell falling off those recycling bins, I’m sure I will anyway.
