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Sandler gives his best performance yet (at least my favorite) by creating a very real person who's screwed up—but realistically and sympathetically screwed up. In Punch Drunk Love, Sandler was successful but almost just a muted version of who he is in every movie. Here, Sandler really acts—disappearing into Charlie Fineman and only surfacing with random line readings that make you think, "Whoa, there's Happy Gilmore!" But for the most part, Sandler commands the movie with a powerfully subtle and evolving portrayal. He's matched by the always solid Cheadle, who isn't just the straight guy to Sandler's messiness—but is also a three-dimensional character on his own journey.

The two old friends share some laughs at the theater

Unfortunately, Cheadle's own storyline—learning to accept the self-sacrifices and necessary communication of marriage—is the weak spot of Reign on Me. Instead of being solely about how friendship reawakens Charlie, screenwriter Binder seemed to want the film to be about two men with problems—one mourning his lost family and one feeling trapped in his family—and how they reawaken each other. Alan's part of that synergy doesn't quite work. It can feel tacked-on, contrived and unoriginal. Instead of feeling like real life, it's more like "reel" life—moments in Alan's storyline feel staged and manufactured. One intriguing idea in Alan's story, however, is summed up when Alan's wife says, "[Charlie] is caught up in his pain—and you're jealous of his freedom."

This is yet another example of the great thoughts and deeper ideas underlining Reign Over Me—themes very similar to The Who's similarly titled song. "Love, Reign O'er Me" was the final song on The Who's second rock opera, Quadrophenia, about a disfranchised character named Jimmy who has a personal tragedy and escapes to a small island (like Charlie's video-game, self-focused island in his apartment).

Pete Townshend of The Who described the song by saying, "Jimmy goes through a suicide crisis. When it's over and he goes back to town, he'll be going through the same [tough stuff], but now he's moved up a level. He's still weak, but there's a strength in that weakness. He's in danger of maturing."

Talk About It

1. Is Charlie's reaction to personal tragedy understandable? Have you seen someone go through similar pain—or have you gone through it yourself? Could you see yourself slipping into this kind of depression? What would you do about it?
2. How do you think this movie portrays marriage? Professional therapists? Mental illness?
3. What specific scenes or sequences remind you of Hebrews 10:24-25? How is that verse seen in the film? What other verses popped to mind watching this movie?
4. Charlie keeps remodeling his kitchen out of self-punishment. In what ways have you punished yourself—or seen others punish themselves—out of grief, guilt or loss?

The Family Corner

Reign Over Me is rated R for language and some sexual references. The consistent offensive language includes just about every swear word in the book—including crude terms for body parts and homosexuals. The sexual references include very frank discussion of oral sex and a woman's breasts. A woman continually approaches a man for an adulterous relationship, but it is not acted upon.

Photos © Copyright Sony Pictures Entertainment

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