Every Day

Written and directed by Richard Levine, Every Day follows Liev Schreiber’s Ned as he’s forced to confront and deal with the various problems in his hectic life – including an ailing, cranky father-in-law (Brian Dennehy’s Ernie), a demanding boss (Eddie Izzard’s Garrett), an out-of-the-closet teenage son (Ezra Miller’s Jonah), and a flirtatious co-worker (Carla Gugino’s Robin). Despite the decidedly overstuffed nature of its narrative, Every Day generally comes off as an authentic look at the behind-the-scenes happenings within a (relatively) normal nuclear family – with the effective performances and Levine’s subtle touch playing an instrumental role in establishing and sustaining the movie’s down-to-earth feel. There is, however, never a point at which the viewer is wholeheartedly drawn into the proceedings, with the film’s deliberate pace exacerbated by Levine’s reliance on situations of a decidedly (and increasingly) tedious nature (ie Ned is tempted to cheat on his wife, Jonah is overwhelmed while visiting a gay bar, etc). It’s subsequently not surprising to note that Every Day wears out its welcome long before the end credits roll, which is a shame, certainly, given the strength of the eclectic cast’s ongoing efforts (with Schreiber especially good here).

** out of ****