The 'Upside' of dramedy

When Joan Allen was making "The Contender," she jokingly asked co-star and screenwriter Mike Binder to write a movie for her. After tossing the idea around, Binder started writing "The Upside of Anger." This is one of the many anecdotes featured in a behind-the-scenes look at the movie on the recently released DVD. \nAllen has always been known for her wide acting range and strong supporting roles, and it is wonderful to see her in such a well-written lead in "Upside." She plays Terry Wolfmeyer, an abandoned wife, mothering four grown daughters, in the early stages of what could turn into severe alcoholism. Kevin Costner plays her drinking buddy Denny, a former baseball star who falls in love with both Terry and her daughters. The story grows from this premise, adding rich layers of family dramedy to Allen's stunning performance. \nIn the making-of featurette, all of the film's main characters are interviewed extensively and discuss how they came to the project and its meaning for them. The feature is excellent, giving much background detail and history of the project. Fans of Mike Binder will find his interviews particularly interesting as he talks about his writing style and comedy past. \nOther DVD highlights include several deleted scenes, a Binder/Allen commentary, some New Line trailers and well-designed menu screens. \nThe Binder/Allen commentary was informative and very interesting, however, I wished throughout that Allen would give more input on her evolution in the role and Binder's writing. Binder talks enough for both of them though, mostly on production aspects and how he came to write the screenplay. Film critic Rod Lurie moderates the conversation and is a close friend of Binder's, adding a few tidbits on Binder's previous films. In its casual nature, there are few lapses in dialogue, which makes the commentary a lot more fun to listen to. \nThe film quality is well-intact and the film is presented in widescreen format, which allows the viewer to see the extensive production value that went into the shoot. \nThe standard features and commentaries available on most new releases are all present here, with good sound and visual transfers. I was very satisfied with the movie and felt the DVD extras served well to enhance the experience.