Everything Must Go poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Michael Peņa, CJ Wallace ... see more see more... , Glenn Howerton , Rosalie Michaels , Stephen Root , Laura Dern , Argos Maccallum , Todd Bryant , Jason Spisak , Tyler Johnstone , Kyle Sharkey , Scott Takeda , Matthew Dearing , Leeann Dearing , Chris Cook , Steven Scally , Andy McDermott , Lance Gray , Narinder Singh

Adapted and directed by Dan Rush, and based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Everything Must Go tells the story of Nick (Will Ferrell) a career salesman whose days of being on top are long gone. Th... read more read more...e same day Nick gets 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 properly, on the lawn - reluctantly holding a yard sale that becomes a unique strategy for survival. -- (C) Roadside Attractions

Flixster Users

53% liked it

15,974 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

126 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Dan Rush

Release Date: May 13, 2011

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: September 6, 2011

Get It:

Stats: 1,447 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Nick Halsey Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Everything Must Go Nick Halsey Nick Halsey Nick Halsey Nick Halsey Samantha Kenny Loftus
Upload a Photo | View All Everything Must Go Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (1,447)

  • romy861
    May 26, 2012
    romy861
    Interesting idea, but dragged out too much. Very serious role for Will Ferell. He pulls it off well, but story is too slight for its running time.
  • fb1672039553
    April 24, 2012
    fb1672039553
    The writing doesn't go very far, but maybe that was intended. An alcoholic doesn't need a reason for being an alcoholic, nor are they cured from their intense attraction to alcohol. There's no rationalizing any aspect of it. Still, the writing did feel forced with an odd set of c... read moreircumstances caked on with more and more convenient oddities needed to fill a movie.
  • FrizzDrop
    April 24, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    Definitely not a comedy, and it certainly shows that this had to be stretched out from the original short story it was based upon, and yet it still remains a greatly dramatic film. It might be noted that this is a Will Ferrell film absent of Adam Mackay or any goofy antics, and t... read morehough that charming indie distinction uselessly lessens an actor's response among their fans, this should be touted as a great performance from the funnyman. I think people should rally around this film, because it really has a poignancy and bitter irony that comes with Raymond Carver's writing and an almost duplicitous performance from Ferrell. Lately Ferrell has really tried to cultivate better performances and has taken on roles that haven't been odd or strange, probably because of the low critical reception of his films Land of the Lost and The Other Guys. He has collaborated with some seriously funny people as of late, but this film is anything but funny. Though it's a tale that isn't anything transcendent, it follows the plight of a man haunted by his past, tethered to a woman who he loves yet cannot carry him anymore, and the workings of his life in suburbia and the neighborhood that watches his decline in silence. I can't stress enough how thoughtful and sensitive the writing of Raymond Carver is, and how his work is adapted with actual care by writer/director Dan Rush. Apparently the story was stretched to accommodate an actual run time, but it all comes through really well. The relationship between the character of Nick (Ferrell) and Kenny (Wallace) was a great highlight, as well as a remarkable performance from Rebecca Hall as his pregnant neighbor. The tension between them was palpable, and really resonated while still not being coy about why it existed within the plot. This is a performance of Ferrell you cannot miss.
  • cosmo313
    February 27, 2012
    cosmo313
    Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, this litte gem of an indie film is a nicely understated, yet slightly offbeat dramedy that stars Will Ferrell and features a nice suporting cast of both knowns and an unknown or two.

    This is a nice change of pace for Ferrell. I know he c... read morean do more serious and human type stuff, and this is proof of that. He plays Nick Halsey- a past his prime salesman with a history of alcohol issues who, all in one day finds himself fired from his job and kicked (and locked) out of his house after his wife leaves. He copes by taking all of his stuff that she threw out on the lawn, and making his front yard his new home, as well as one epic yard sale.

    The set up is the sort of thing that could have been played a number of different ways, and writer/director Dan Rush decided to take the mostly serious, yet still sometimes funny route. It's a nice move that reaches a solid middle ground, and is still relatable, even if the sitauation is slightly bending the rules of reality.

    Ferrell is terrific, especially when he decides to really play it straight and down to Earth, as he does here. This is definitely some of his best work, and I'd love to see him enter this type of territory more often. Rebecca Hall is nice as a new neighbor who starts to form a connection with him, and, as a young neighborhood kid who also steps in to help Nick get back on his feet C J Wallace (the son of late rapper the Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans) really shines in his film debut, giving a finely observed portrait of a likeable outsider like Nick who is pretty sharp, yet not an overly precocious or seemingly know-it-all as indies are rather guilty of having. Michale Pena and Stephen Root are good, and, even though she's got very limited screen time, it's nice seeing Laura Dern, sicne she almost always brings a welcome touch of class to the projects she's in.

    All in all, this is a really touching and surprising film, and it definitely will leave you disappointed if you're expecting a ridiculous over the top farce a la Step Brothers. I really enjoyed this film quite a bit. So much so that I'm almost considering bumping it up a half star. The film isn't totally perfect, as the whole scenario does seem a tad unrealistic and the end seems a little too easy, but then again, the characters are at least well rounded and developed, and you do care about them, so it's hard not to root for them.

    Give this one a shot, it's a nice little treat.
  • aSpaceCowboy
    January 17, 2012
    aSpaceCowboy
    I didn't want to see this because it was Will Ferrell movie. I wanted to see this because I was stricken by the story and that it happened to be a Will Ferrell movie. Well, a serious Will, which rarely comes around.
  • danperry17
    December 14, 2011
    danperry17
    Surprisingly good, despite the liberties it takes in stretching a very short story (by Raymond Carver, one of my favourites) into a feature-length film. The main character had to be played by a boor, and Ferrell fits the bill admirably; some other actors would have shown a greate... read morer range, but it's important to remember that the character just doesn't get it... and no one can be more obstinate than Ferrell. The film conforms a bit too much to the "I'm so Indie" model, but it's a gripping slice of life in the realist style, and much more enjoyable than Short Cuts.
  • fb733768972
    December 9, 2011
    fb733768972
    Will Ferrell plays Nick, an 'about to get divorced' man who recently got fired from his job, living on his front yard, obeying the rules to stay out of his house. As all of his belongings rest on his front lawn, he hits like the drunk he is, until he is forced to move or sell eve... read morerything in a yard sale. We meet characters like Samantha (Rebecca Hall) and Chris, the little kid who he needed to realize what he has been missing. The little hidden messages throughout this film are fantastic, and everyone should watch and learn from it. Will Ferrell finally gives a career defining dramatic performance, in which I actually felt for. This movie will never show signs of dullness, the performances are real, the pacing is soothing, and the conclusion is more than fitting. From it's extremely subtle humour, to it's terrifically engaging events (credit to the writer), "Everything Must Go" is definitely one of the best films of 2011!
  • DerekA101
    December 8, 2011
    DerekA101
    I didn't find this funny or emotionally connecting. The most irrelevant, ridiculous movie I've seen all year. Will Ferrell is still on the down swing...
  • theunknownhobo
    December 4, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    Even if I did expect more from this film, what it gave was good enough. Will Ferrell does a wonderful job at playing the loser, but in this film, like in "Stranger Than Fiction", Ferrell gets down to business and in between the jokes, delivers some very decent acting. Solid story... read more line set up to be hilarious and is so for much of the film, but peppered with the bitter desperation of Ferrell's character, as well as the intricatley woven sadness of the rest of the cast, this film leaves one with a heavier heart and wider eyes. A very good film, just a little too slow for me.
  • CreedsDelight
    October 27, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    On one hand, 'Everything Must Go' is a touching, emotional, and funny movie. On another hand, it falls apart towards the end, but luckily there is enough wit, humor, and a fantastic performance from Will Ferrell to make this a more than acceptable film. It's always a delight watc... read morehing comedic actors take a walk on the dramatic side, so if you are expecting an 'Anchorman' or 'Old School' type of Ferrell, you will be surely disappointed. There are some moments of stupidity from him, but Ferrell plays a straight man mostly. Although I found some flaws, I believe up until the end, this movie is spectacular; the writing, dialogue, as well as the quirkiness of Ferrell's character. It's very touching seeing his characters sentimentality to all of his "useless" stuff that has been dumped on his lawn, and it is truly an emotional ride throughout. Hell, you should just watch the film for Will Ferrell's spectacular headlining performance; he makes 'Everything Must Go' a pretty solid film that is great until it falls apart towards the end.

View All Everything Must Go Reviews

Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli
May 15, 2011
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

I was not waiting for a punch line. I was not primed to laugh. I accepted Ferrell as Nick and, because of that, I was able to enjoy Everything Must Go on its own terms. Full Review

Dana Stevens
May 13, 2011
Dana Stevens, Slate

This isn't Ferrell's first dramatic role; he played seriocomic leading men in Stranger Than Fiction and Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda. But it's the first one that provides a glimpse at his possibl... Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 13, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Rush draws on the intense attachment we can feel for the mundane objects in our lives. For Nick, these things are talismans from a past that promised a lot more than it delivered. Full Review

Tom Long
May 13, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

In the end, Everything Must Go is something of a consciously static study in sadness, both well-made and wearying. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
May 13, 2011
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Taking stock and letting go -- of superfluous things, of worn-out love -- is a strong theme. But the progression of the script is like Nick's self-help program. We're familiar with the steps. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
May 13, 2011
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

Surprisingly, Ferrell underplays it nicely, neither milking Nick's misfortunes for laughs nor asking for our pity. Full Review

Kyle Smith
May 13, 2011
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The big picture is famil iar -- busted middle-age man, suburban alcoholic despair -- yet the details are so finely rendered that the overall impression is potently strange. Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
May 12, 2011
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

No great epiphanies, just a few days, a little perspective, nicely told. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
May 12, 2011
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Everything can go. Sometimes it does go. The movie tells a pertinent story about what happens next. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2011
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Will Ferrell delivers a performance of implosive intensity that rings true in every detail. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Cyrus
    Cyrus (98%)
  • The Beaver
    The Beaver (97%)
  • Henry Poole Is Here
    Henry Poole Is Here (96%)
  • Fight Club
    Fight Club (50%)

More Movies like Everything Must Go

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Nick Halsey: Hi, are you in there?
    • Nick Halsey: I'v given 16 years of my life to this company.
Submit a Fact | View All

Everything Must G... : Watch Free on TV

Everything Must Go Trivia

  • Girls have everything they want because they're heiresses to a cosmetic corporation, but a scandal strips them of wealth and they must go to work. Stars Hilary and Haylie Duff, Angelina Huston and Brent Spiner. Film(2006) is called__   Answer »
More Everything Must Go Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Everything Must Go. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Everything Must Go Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Everything Must Go to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?