THE UPSIDE OF ANGER jumps off the screen into our hearts as a powerful whirlwind of emotions with fascinating, provocative questions about family and the elusive emotion of anger with which most of us seem to flirt on a daily basis.

The story revolves around a woman (Joan Allen) who awakens one morning to find her husband, with no warning, has simply gone, never to return. With four daughters to raise, she slips—actually, plunges— into a world of anger, bitterness, and the solace of daily bottles of vodka. Her neighbor (Kevin Costner) becomes fascinated with Allen and her daughters and the film, totally based in character and emotions, plays out in the relationships among all of them.

Joan Allen is one of the most underestimated actresses in the world and she gives the Academy Award performance of a lifetime here. She takes a woman “on the brink” and plays her with every color of the acting rainbow, from tragic sorrow to soaring comedy, and she never misses a single beat. Not since Nicole Kidman in THE HOURS have I been as blown away by a portrayal as I was by Joan Allen in this film. Costner, too, has never been better. Together, he and Allen create a fascinating and very adult love story that is strikingly original and compelling.

Anger is indeed a powerful force that can literally sweep us up in its fiery grip and deposit us into a world where everyone around us reflects our own anger back to and at us. The four young women (from early teens to mid-twenties) who play Allen’s daughters are each brilliant and, most importantly, they illuminate the various manifestations of anger that can insidiously manifest in our children and ourselves. Perhaps more than any film in recent memory, THE UPSIDE OF ANGER brilliantly sketches the individual challenges these four young women must face as a result of a single emotion of one of their parents.

Ultimately, the situation facing all the characters turns out to be a moment of grace, one of those times when, usually in retrospect, we realize our lives have been redirected by a powerful and seemingly invisible universal force.

THE UPSIDE OF ANGER is a classic in that it truly asks the eternal questions of who we are and why we are here and also leaves us feeling better about being human when the film is finished. I LOVED it…and I hope you do, too.

This Month's Spiritual Cinema Circle Films

UNFOLDING: He lost his mind. She found it. Lila struggles to deal with her father, who lost his memory years ago. In the midst of her egocentric teenage world, Lila gives her father an incredible gift of compassion and understanding that brings her into the realm of adulthood. A coming-of-age story and a Father’s Day present for us all. Written & Directed by Christian Vuissa. (29 min.).



PASSING HEARTS: A boy finds the courage to follow his heart, quite literally, into a new and complex relationship with two strangers that will change all their lives forever. This moving story unfolds with a gentle and respectful beauty, silently resonating an incredibly moody tension. “I was fascinated with the idea of how one person’s generous sacrifice can have such a significant and positive consequence for another,” says Director Johan Brisinger. This film is a gift to all those who see it - a lesson in the deeper connections between body and soul. Written & Directed by Johan Brisinger. (14 min., in Swedish with English subtitles).



RUMI: POET OF THE HEART: This documentary brings to life a man and his poetry that have been gone from this Earth for over 800 years. Known for his deeply spiritual love poems, Jelaluddin Rumi was a Sufi mystic with many devoted followers when an unlikely and mysterious muse named Shams came into his life. When Shams disappeared, the grieving Rumi gave life to beautiful poetry that still lives on today. Narrated by Debra Winger with interviews with Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Deepak Chopra and more. Written & Directed by Haydn Reiss. (58 min.).

THE MOVIE HERO: A Hollywood movie fanatic believes his life is a movie, watched by an audience that only he can see. Innovative, clever, and wildly inventive, “The Movie Hero” is a wild, funny ride with an endearing character (and “audience”) that you’re sure to enjoy. Directed by Brad Gottfried. (89 min).


BONUS: BEHIND THE “SEEN:” CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: More from the “Conversations With God” team. This exclusive segment of our behind-the-scenes video diary focuses on screenwriter Eric DelaBarre. (7 min.).

For more information about the Spiritual Cinema Circle, click here.