Directed by Dan Rush, starring Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Laura Dern

After delivering an inspiring presentation to his sales staff, Nick is fired for falling off the wagon one last time. He returns home to discover his wife has left him, changed the locks on their suburban home and dumped all his possessions out on the front yard. Faced with his life imploding, Nick puts it all on the line, or more accurately, on the lawn.

That’s the blub and, what’s more disconcerting is that this delightful, heart-warming drama is pitched as a comedy on the box. Don’t get me wrong, there are some excellent comedic moments, but there is no doubt this film falls firmly into the drama category… and wonderfully done it is, too. Farrell is magnificent (as the other box critic proclaims) and it is him who steers this rather emotional journey of a man down on his luck. A slow moving and surprisingly soft tale given the circumstances, but it does pack a powerful punch.

Verdict: Definitely worth seeing and a delightful and hopeful ending, albeit cut short. ****