Analysis of Everybody's Fine (1990)
Everybody's Fine is a 1990 Italian film, released on 31st may 1991, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. He also wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Massimo De Rita and Tonino Guerra.
Synopsis
Frank Goode, a widower living in Sicily, makes lots of adjustments after losing his wife one year ago. The toughest adjustment that Frank experiences is to sustain his associations with his 5 adult children. The children are scattered all over Italy working in what Frank trusts to be liable jobs (De, Niro, 19). Frank’s wife was like a substance that held the family together and after passing away, children scatter and none of them seem to remember going back home. The neighbors criticize them but their father remains very enthusiastic believing that they are not coming home because they are too busy with their jobs. The child is named after popular opera characters. Frank resolves to amaze each of them with a visit. He travels all the way by train and finds none of the child as he anticipated. Both seemed to have changed and this amazes the father.
Each child appeared to reflect the opera characters after whom they were named. The train takes him to Naples, Rome, Florence, Milan and Turin where the each child lives (De, Niro, 27). He spends one night in the streets among the destitute. Each of the children scrambles to put on a portico to cover their particular shortcomings before the father arrives (De, Niro, 28). None of them is in the state that Frank had illusion. Their relationship with the father is ruined and none of them is willing to tell or show the father the reality but decides to hide it so as not to surprise him. Amy, one of the children, explicates that they tell him the good news and spare him the bad news, since they did not want to shock him. However, it was their mother who had told them to do this. Frank returns to Sicily with no truths and it appears to him that if the Goode cannot be the one family that they once used to be. Afterwards, Frank arrives in Sicily and visits her wife’s grave and ironically reports to her that their children are all fine.
The film uses dim light to express the inner emotions of the characters. The most striking scenes are expressed by use of dim lights that further sways the audience to experience the inner feelings of the characters. Sound variations have been used concurrently to reiterate the message of the film. The variations in tones are used to psychologically prepare the audience for the next episode or scene. Low sounds are used to express sorrow moments in the film. The film has been composed in a highly intellectual manner that takes into account realism and factual events that virtually everyone can associate themselves with. These elements of style make the movie relevant and quite relevant to watch.
The theme of the film
The theme of the theme is family relations and truths. The movie handles these themes with a good sense of realism. Frank travels far and wide to reconnect his family but discovers that their lives are far from picture perfect. He travels in a bid to bring his family back home but his efforts bear no fruits. Frank is afraid of the future of his family and in a dream he sees a large black balloon descending picking his children and ascends with them. This foreshadows the bad ending of his family. He tries to bring them close to him but fail. He appears to be a loving father who cares after his family and does everything possible to unite them (Bayman, Louis & Sergio, 29). However, these efforts are paralyzed by the menace of dishonest. The movie shows that family relationships can be tattered once one of the parents leave and things will never be the same again.
The aspect of dishonesty also dominates the scenes in the film. The children conceal the truth from their father since their mother had taught them to act that way. Additionally, frank tells his wife that all is well when in reality things were worse. This indicates that there is need to hide the truth if revealing it might have devastating effects.
Value of the film
The movie addresses issues that are real and very prevalent in the contemporary society. The movie displays an artistic component that any lucid individual can relate to the realities. In the movie, one gets to learn the importance of family relationships. It displays parents as people who are caring and concerned with the welfare of their families (Bayman, Louis & Sergio, 86). It further reiterates the importance of the mother in creating a coherent family. The themes addressed by the artistic work are universal. For instance, one finds themselves in dilemmas whether to reveal some needed facts or ton conceal them. Revealing them might have adverse effects and holding them will have adverse effects too. It meaningfully communicates such aspects that are of importance to humanity and the general coexistence in the society. However, the movie illustrates that one must critically analyze the effect of an action before executing it. The objective wrong and right is subject to one’s interpretation. One should act in a way that will result to more good than bad. Nevertheless, we should not disillusion those who are close to us.
The film also addresses the challenges those youths face. The five children leave home with expectation of finding jobs in the cities. However, the unexpected happens and the children live a life that is far from what they anticipated. The challenge of unemployment is demonstrated as a chief challenge that faces the youths. They are forced to cheat because they do not want people to know the undesirable life that they live.
Critical opinions
Being a parent in old age is quite challenging and surrounded by mystery. The film is edited in a way that the most shocking and devastating details are presented. Frank finds it hard to maintain a relationship with his scattered family and is shocked when the children fail to reveal the truth (De, Niro, 38). However, the film does not reveal what happens to the lives of the children after their father goes back and ironically reports to the mother that everything is fine. However, it appears disappointing for children to hide the facts from their parents when the parents’ intentions are to help them out of a problem. Frank expects his children to be better than everyone. We should not expect our children to be better than anyone else. Nature takes its course and has the potential to shape an individual’s life.
As elucidated above, “Everybody's Fine”, is well-structured film that brings to light the challenges that are faced by the contemporary society. The director uses effective elements of style that makes the movie interesting and touching too.
Works Cited
Bayman, Louis, and Sergio Rigoletto. Popular Italian Cinema. N.p., 2013. Print.
De, Niro R, and Kirk Jones. Everybody's Fine. S.l. N.p., n.d. Print.
