The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger is an independent film starring Kevin Costner, Joan Allen, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt, and Erika Christensen. The film was independently financed, and was distributed by New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures.
A drama with strong comedic undertones, The Upside of Anger is about relationships and introspection, and in the wake of personal tragedy, how things that tear us apart can in fact bring us together. It is the story of the Wolfmeyer family, centering on Terry, (Joan Allen), and her four strong-willed daughters (Alicia Witt, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell and Evan Rachel Wood), all of whom must suddenly cope without their husband/father.
They are a family divided, caught between hurt and blame, desperately looking to move forward and heal. Set in the suburbs of Detroit, the story unfolds over the course of four years, in which Terry discovers a new relationship with an old friend, Denny (Kevin Costner), and is also forced to re-examine her relationship with her daughters, while her girls struggle in reassessing the image of their mother.
The Upside of Anger – The Cast
Kevin Costner, Joan Allen, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood and Mike Binder brought dynamic and memorable performances to their characters. Costner, taking the role of a retired baseball player for a third spin, plays an endearing ‘Denny’ to Joan Allen’s feisty turn as the ‘jilted’ wife of her husband whom she believes has run off with his secretary.
Kevin Costner in The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger – Joan Allen, Keri Russell, Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Alicia Witt
Kevin Costner, Keri Russell in The Upside of Anger
Production Team
Produced by Jack Binder
Written and directed by Mike Binder.
The film crew consisted of very talented British artisans behind the camera, a big attraction to filming in the UK.
The Upside Of Anger (2005) Trailer
The Upside of Anger Writer-Director Mike Binder & Star Kevin Costner
Production Notes
The Upside of Anger was Produced by Jack Binder and Written-Directed by brother Mike Binder. Filming took place in London and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The film was originally planned for shooting in Michigan, however the lack of film tax incentives put the financiers onto another location. Jack & Mike were happy to travel to their beloved London to make the film.
Evan Rachel Wood directed by Mike Binder in The Upside of Anger
Location Versus Soundstage
Shooting London for Bloomfield Hills, Michigan was a challenge indeed. For one, the architecture of the homes in England is completely different to the Detroit area suburbs.
Erica Christensen, Mike Binder in The Upside of Anger
Location Shooting
After an exhaustive (we mean Exhaustive!) search the key location was found in Hampstead on the north side of London. The trick was to find the perfect house, that matched the Michigan house look, that was on a big back yard (garden) and also on a wood (woods.)
This was no small feat and many Location Managers helped in the endeavor. Eventually the exact spot was found with some clever use by Jack of aerial vegetation mapping. First he found the trees, then he was able to narrow his search and find the house.
Soundstage Shooting
The interiors were mostly filmed at Ealing Studios, Ealing, outside of London. The famous studio of old classic comedy films and television shows it was an honor to shoot on these legendary stages.
Jack Binder Producer Credits
Visit our homepage FilmBudget.com or jump to Contact to get in touch with Jack Binder to discuss your production via his production services company Film Budget Inc. Jack’s producer credits can be found at http://filmbudget.com/about
