
Everything Must Go
2010, Comedy/Drama, 1h 37m
134 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
It may not improve on the Raymond Carver short story that inspired it, but Everything Must Go resists cliche and boasts a pair of magnetic performances from the perfectly cast Ferrell and Wallace. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
Everything Must Go Photos
Movie Info
Longtime salesman Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) has seen better days. No longer at the top of his game, Nick, an alcoholic, loses his job for showing up drunk one too many times. On the same day, he finds that his wife has dumped him -- and his possessions -- on the front lawn of their home. Facing the fact that his life is collapsing around him, Nick holds a giant yard sale that turns into a unique survival strategy. Based on a short story by Raymond Carver.
Cast & Crew
Will Ferrell
Nick Porter
Nick Porter
Christopher Jordan Wallace
Kenny Loftus
Kenny Loftus
Rebecca Hall
Samantha
Samantha
Michael Peña
Frank Garcia
Frank Garcia
Laura Dern
Delilah
Delilah
Rosalie Michaels
Kitty
Kitty
Critic Reviews for Everything Must Go
Audience Reviews for Everything Must Go
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Oct 19, 2013Worth a watch, especially if Stranger Than Fiction is your type of Will Ferrell movie.Kevin " Super Reviewer
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Dec 06, 2012Anyone that's been reading my reviews for any length of time will be aware of my dislike for the humour of Will Ferrell. Don't get wrong, I've enjoyed some films of his: "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Elf" are a couple but for the most part his humour just doesn't work for me. Thankfully, this is Ferrell minus his funny bone and as he plays it straight, he delivers some impressive work. Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) is fired from his sales job for his reliance on alcohol. When he returns home, he finds that his wife has left him, locked him out of the house and left all his belongings on the front lawn. He refuses to accept this though and decides to camp out in his chair and drink beer for days on end. As this is not legal, his cop friend and AA sponsor (Michael Peña) suggests that he pretends to be having a yard sale to buy him some time. Not before long, Nick starts to makes friends with the neighbours who help him sell his stuff. The problem with this film isn't Ferrell as I'd expected it to be. The problem with this film is that the material doesn't stretch far enough. It's based on the short story "Why Don't You Dance?" by Raymond Carver who was responsible for the serious of vignettes that made up Robert Altman's magnificent film "Short Cuts". Where Altman got it right though, was in keeping all the segments little tales of their own and never fleshed them out too far. This had been a short story for a reason; there just isn't enough material to cover the ground of a 90 minute feature - and it's shows. Despite a series of very good moments and the struggle and believable, emotional downfall of the protagonist, it has a series of lulls which just felt like padding. As a result the dramatic weight is lessened and your concentration begins to waver. That being said, there is still plenty to admire here and that mainly comes in the form of Ferrell, who flexes his acting chops in a more serious role than audiences will be used to. I'm not normally a fan of his brand of comedy but as a dramatic actor he's actually quite good. Unfortunately, for him though, the whole film rests on his shoulders; most of the other characters are secondary with Laura Dern, particularly wasted, in a thankless bit-part. However, the theme of a downward spiralling individual forced to confront his past - and his addictive problems - is reflected well, in the coveting of material objects and their relevance to a person as a whole. More of a tragi-comedy with the emphasis on the former. It has serious moments of lethargy but worth watching for it's metaphoric approach to life and to see Ferrell command the screen with depth, in a rare dramatic role.Mark W Super Reviewer
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Aug 22, 2012Don't expect to laugh. Not your typical Will Ferrell movie. Worth a watch, but nothing too memorable going on here.Wu C Super Reviewer
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Jun 04, 2012a by-the-numbers "guy picks up the pieces of his broken life" dramedy. You've seen it before, and I think it starred Luke Wilson the last time. Nick wakes up drunk in his own lawn with sprinklers shooting him in the face. By the end he symbolically lets go of everything and starts anew, yawn. BUT, there is enough generic, heartwarming shenanigans going on to keep your butt in a seat. And seeing Will Ferrell play something approximating a "normal" human being is somewhat refreshing. Be sure to keep on the lookout for the "hollywood" garage sale scene in which actors try to generally approximate what it's like to the be a person shopping at a garage sale.Brett W Super Reviewer
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