Reign Over Me

I love, love, love, love this movie! This is easily Adam Sandler's best performance and he should have at least been nominated for an Oscar.

REIGN OVER ME is a dark comedy-drama related to the 9/11 tragedy. This thoughtful movie isn’t about the attacks, but the result from a victim’s perspective years later. Those old enough remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when the planes struck the Twin Towers. It was one of the biggest events of their lives. Those who suffered losses on that tragic day will especially remember. For me, I learned the news on the school bus on the way. I was still a child, but I recall the radio hosts saying they had devastating news to report. I heard about the plane then and informed several teachers in the hallway. But I had left the bus by the time the second plane hit the other tower, the Pentagon, and the fourth plane in the field (headed to Capitol Hill in D.C.). I noticed the teachers continued to whisper, and parents began taking kids home early, afraid of more terrorist attacks. I discovered those other plane updates later in the afternoon after my uncle picked up my siblings, cousins, and me from school. That single event altered America’s trajectory forever, marking a tragic time for countless people, including first responders and civilians lost then, as well as military members who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The suffering persisted years later, and for many, it never ended.

Adam Sandler plays Charlie Fineman, a former dentist dealing with PTSD, from losing his wife and three daughters on a plane that struck the Twin Towers on 9/11. In the aftermath, he quit his career, cut off communication with everyone he knew, and isolated himself from the outside world. He received monetary compensation for the deaths, but it cannot replace the ones he loved. His friend, former roommate from dental school, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), plays the straight shooter. Alan runs his dental practice with other dentists, and one day, he sees Charlie walk out of a store wearing headphones. Despite the shouting, Alan didn’t get Charlie’s attention. Alan encounters Charlie a few weeks later and decides to rekindle their old friendship. In doing so, he understands Charlie’s incomprehensible pain and attempts to help with guidance from psychiatrist Dr. Angela Oakhurst (Liv Tyler).

Overall, this movie came out less than six years after 9/11, when the events remained fresh in people’s minds. It does an admirable job showing the painful side of grief and how everyone grieves differently. I must say hats off to Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. Their performances here tower over everything else to me. The film juxtaposes Charlie and Alan’s lives, and their need for each other to overcome their issues. This film considers themes such as loss, family, friendship, coping, forgiveness, and change. I also liked the subtle direction, reflective writing, emotional depiction, soundtrack, and proper NYC setting. While it is a decent movie, I found several issues. First, the editing should have been sharper. Several subplots detracted from the central plot rather than enhance it. Second, they tried to inject humor into the story to make it more upbeat, but it fell short. The sadness blankets over the upbeat moments they added, and it’s difficult to pull. Third, the PTSD depicted may relate to any issue. It appeared emotionally manipulative to choose 9/11 from the plethora of events they could have. The ending, though strange and puzzling, felt somewhat satisfying.

Would I recommend this? Yes. REIGN OVER ME is worth seeing once, but it’s not a must-watch. A tighter script might have resolved the issues, but it didn’t flow well. It’s a hard movie to view, but there’s more good than issues here that make it compelling. I didn’t realize Adam Sandler could be this remarkable in a serious role, but he is at his best. My rating is 7.5/10.

*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/basic history/name information from Wiki

Reign Over Me is a powerful and timely film that deals with some controversial and sensitive issues. The story follows a struggling family man named Alan Johnson who rekindles an old friendship with a college roommate who’s suffering from severe PTSD after the loss of his wife and children in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks. The film does an impressive job at depicting the challenges of mental illness and at showing how it affects those around them. Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler lead the cast and deliver excellent performances. And they’re helped out by a strong supporting cast that includes Saffron Burrows, Liv Tyler, and Donald Sutherland. Reign Over Me gets a little overdramatic at times, but delivers a compelling look at the bonds of friendship.

Great movie with important messages and Sandler's perfomance was just amazing i didn't expect that. 7.6/10

This is the story of a Manhattan dentist (Don Cheadle) that stumbles across his college roommate (Adam Sandler) years after Sandler's family had died on 9/11. Sandler had become a shell of his former self and as the story unfolds you see the depths to which Sandler had sunk. I never thought I'd say this but Sandler stole the movie. He was decent in the first half of the movie but it was right about that time that he had a couple of scenes that really made the movie. Who knew? The movie was still fairly flawed but the good scenes were still good enough to carry the movie.

[7/10] I’ve had this film recommended to me by a few people, and I’m glad I finally watched it!

There were a few moments that felt sort of inconsequential or unnecessary, and I wasn’t sure why they were included in the way that they were. About halfway through the film, I actually thought it could exceed my expectations by the end, but it didn’t. Still, it was good! I cried a few times[spoiler], especially at the end.[/spoiler]

My biggest complaint was with Adam Sandler’s performance of Charlie Fineman. I’m a fan of his and think he’s capable of delivering a killer performance in this kind of role. I am sure he performed the role as envisioned and directed, but I feel that his tendency to exaggerate his characters held him back from greatness here. Don Cheadle's character and performance left a much stronger impression on me. Without him, Adam's performance may have been a bigger problem for me. I really enjoyed the supporting cast in general.

The story certainly lends itself to a portrayal of intense symptoms and struggles with trauma and mental health, but I would have liked just a couple more grounding moments that may have been more recognizable and impactful for audiences—moments that could have bridged a gap in some small way. We got a few, but I just didn't feel it was quite enough.[spoiler] One of my favorites was when Charlie confronts his in-laws in the courthouse, leaving his mother-in-law with a kiss on the cheek. I appreciated how he struggled to articulate his thoughts and feelings in the courtroom but was later able to process what was being suggested and respond more meaningfully outside of that setting. It was highly relatable for me.[/spoiler]

I don’t see myself watching this again, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others who might connect with its story. I feel like this film has the potential to reach some people deeply, even if it missed the mark a little for me. If you’re curious, it’s worth giving it a try!

Always a fan of Sandler and never heard of this one until today. As a young widower I understood more than anyone I think and as a gamer too, the fact that he plays a game where the character pursues the resurrection of his love was a fine touch.

Sandler stepped out of his comfort zone and showed that he can also play drama. But why this main character lisped, that made Sandler resembled his comedic act.

Shocking. The last Sandler movie I watched prior to this was _Zohan_ which was a horrible step backward after this flick. I thought his evolution into the non _Billy Madison/Big Daddy_ movie world had started with _Click_ which was a combination of those type comedies with some of the drama. Here he jumps in with both feet as Charlie, a man who lost his family during the 9/11 attacks. Sandler's portrayal at times had a little too much _Rain Man_ to it but overall it was fantastic. If you don't feel for him, you should see a psychiatrist. I loved how his old college roomate's attempt to "rescue" Charlie parallels the problems he has in his own life, namely the feeling of isolation they both overcome through video games, Chinese food, and Mel Brooks. Give this movie a chance, it will move you.