Everything Must Go

"Everything Must Go" is based on a Raymond Carver short story, but it's really based on every hackneyed indie film about redemption.  Alcoholic Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) loses his job and his wife on the same day.  His soon-to-be-ex leaves their house and locks him out, dumping all his stuff on the lawn.  With no place to go, Nick starts living on the lawn.  He's befriended by Kenny, a boy who is, naturally, chubby and sad looking, and Samantha, a neighbor who is, naturally, empathetic and pretty.

Will Nick turn to the bottle and eventually hit rock bottom?  Yes!  Will he slowly form a bond with Kenny and impart life-long lessons to him?  Yes!  Will Nick learn that all of the material possessions dumped on the lawn really aren't that important?  Spoiler alert: Yes!

Ferrell turns off his eccentricities for the part, but he doesn't turn anything else on.  He's the world's most boring tortured alcoholic.  It's hard to blame him, though, given the bland script that methodically hits its marks.  "Guess I'll be seein' you around," Kenny says to Nick near the end of the film.  I think I've heard that line somewhere before...