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Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows ... see more see more... , Donald Sutherland , Robert Klein , Melinda Dillon , Ted Raimi , Paula Newsome , Anthony Chisholm , B.J. Novak , John DeLancie , Jonathan Banks , Denise Dowse , Paul Butler , Rae Allen , Camille Lache Smith , Imani Hakim , Jessica Golden , Harris Peet , Mike Binder , Tommy Nohilly , Robert Harvey , Nick Taylor , M.D. Walton , Chad R. Brigockas , Elizabeth Andrews , Neal Robert Young , Lela Loren , Karen Huie , Cicely Tyson

A chance run-in with an old college roommate becomes the catalyst for healing in writer/director Mike Binder's tale of friendship and understanding in post-9/11 New York. When the Twin Towers went dow... read more read more...n on that fateful morning in 2001, Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) lost everything that he had to live for. Five years have passed since Charlie lost his family, and now the once-successful and sociable man has become a withdrawn shadow of his former self. When fate brings Charlie and his former college roommate Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) together once again on a Manhattan street corner, Alan is shocked to see just how far his old friend has fallen. Though on the surface it would appear that Alan has it all, the pressures of his family and career have been weighing heavily on the successful dentist and loving father's shoulders as of late. At that pivotal moment when Charlie and Alan both need a trusted friend to help them work through the seemingly insurmountable challenges they face in life, the restorative power of a rekindled friendship provides just the lifeline needed to move forward into the future with hope and optimism. Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, and Donald Sutherland co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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81% liked it

143,257 ratings

Critics

63% liked it

149 critics

R, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Mike Binder

Release Date: March 23, 2007

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DVD Release Date: October 9, 2007

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Flixster Reviews (14,781)

  • fb100000883534329
    April 23, 2012
    fb100000883534329
    Such a good change of the normal Sandler filck. This was really heartfelt and emotional. Sandler shows he's got real acting chops and show people in the real road, which I am a fan of. Amazingly talented cast. Another change from the average Sandler flick.
  • movieguru12
    February 22, 2011
    movieguru12
    Very moving and touching but I do prefer Adam in more comedic rules.
  • Passenger1986
    December 29, 2010
    Passenger1986
    So, did you like Adam Sandler's serious work in Punch-Drunk Love? You didn't see it/thought it was too similar to his comedic work with little drama? Well, how about Spanglish? You didn't see it/wanted to see him do it with a bigger role? If you answered the latter to one or both... read more questions, and you haven't seen Reign Over Me... why are you reading this review? It can't be that you haven't heard about it.

    Well, if you haven't, here's a brief rundown of the story: dentist Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle, who needs to be a bigger name. Now) runs into his old college roommate Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler who by now should convince people at large he can do serious work) , who seems distant and depressed in contrast to the man about town, happy-go-lucky man Alan knew of yesteryear. Alan later discovers that Charlie's family died in 9/11 and in those five years, Charlie's just withdrawn into himself and cut off ties with anyone who knew his wife and daughter. Both men spend time rekindling their friendship and searching within themselves and each other for what they need to overcome.

    Like I said, Don Cheadle is wonderful. His character is not just well played, he's sharply written. Anytime an uncomfortable situation comes up, like talking to his wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) about a woman, Melanie (Paula Newsome) trying to seduce him, he reacts in a calm and rational matter, no stuttering or violent rage. That's who he is, a peacekeeper. And he's under a lot of pressure. His marriage isn't all that it could be, due to lack of communication with his wife; Melanie is suing him for advances SHE made, due to her obsession with him; and when Charlie re-enters his life, it just hits him how much Charlie just seems to have given up on life.

    Speaking of Charlie, Adam Sandler plays this role similar to the one he played in Punch-Drunk Love only with more depression fueled rage as opposed to eccentric fueled rage. While that too is one of my favourite movies, I wouldn't disagree if someone said it was essentially Adam's man-child humor with a slight more serious focus. But it's here where his anger and blue mouth work best. Charlie's on a self destructive path, and lives in his own little world, because the real one is something he's not ready to re-embrace. He may seem self-involved but that's because by opening up to people and connecting with people, in particular those who knew his family, he leaves himself vulnerable to thinking of them again.
    This leads to a court case to determine whether or not he needs to be placed under someone else's care due to his lifestyle possibly endangering others and it is the most powerful sequence in the movie, no question. Charlie's family keep being brought up, with her parents right there in court, showing pictures of Charlie's wife and daughter and Charlie's about ready to burst. I couldn't help but be sucked into that, I'm on his side all the way.

    And on a smaller note, how awesome is Donald Sutherland? He only gets the court room scenes to act in but he acts the Hell out of them. Yes, he's made some crap but so have a lot of actors and I've forgiven them.

    One more thing about the courtroom scenes and why I like them: think of Big Daddy. Most times when an Adam Sandler character has to deliver the big dramatic speech, all the wacky cameo characters return to support the big moment even if his character is as thick is a brick-constructed building holding bricks (Billy Madison is a prime offender but gets off by being talked down to in such an epic manner). But all it is, after the jokes, is one big dramatic "look at me, I can be serious for a moment!" schtick. Dude, forget it, you made the whole thing a farce. But here, you're not laughing now. You want to leap to his defense and get him out of there as soon as possible. It really is a nice contrast to all these antics in previous Sandler films. It's funny a couple of times but after a while, it's time to retire the schtick.

    If you haven't seen anything I suggested at the beginning that could convince you Adam can blend his silly voices with confronting drama, go with this. Or Funny People. Either way, prepare to be amazed.
  • cosmo313
    June 4, 2010
    cosmo313
    You can't fault this movie for having good intentions. It trys to present an honest and sincere portrait of how friendship can help heal some seriously deep wounds and resolve some problematic issues. This film should be commended for that, especially as it uses 9/11 as the sourc... read moree of this pain and grief. Once again, Sandler enters the world of drama, this time channeling Blonde on Blonde era Bob Dylan. He makes a terrific effort to pull of the incredibly difficult role of Charlie, a man who lost his wife, three children, and dog in one of the plane crashes on 9-11-2001, and has become so far removed from society he has shut out everyone connected to his loss. Sandler is mostly successful, but doesn't quite yet have the chops to pull it off perfectly. Regardless, I thought he did a really good job. Don Cheadle is also really good as Charlie's old college room mate who he reconnects with quite by accident. Alan really wants to help Charlie, and in trying to do so, learns to start coping with his own problems. Jada Pinkett Smith is decent, if underused. Liv Tyler is also good, but I would have liked to have seen more of her as well. Saffron Burrows steals a few scenes, and I understood the connection the filmmakers were trying to make between her character and Sandler's character, but they should have been more clear for those who may not have caught on. Despite these nitpicks, they aren't the biggest issue that keep the movie from being what it could and should have been. The tone is uneven, as is the pacing. The film also runs a tad too long. While I did enjoy this movie, I thought the story overall could have been handled better-especially the third act. Restructuring the film would really help in this department. So yeah, despite the problems plaguing this film, it is still very moving and entertaining, and I give it a mild recommendation. B-.
  • 76Majikat
    March 10, 2010
    76Majikat
    It was an interesting idea to catch the knock on effects from the 911 tradegy, that are still with people in many ways today and centering this around one person's grief really shows the feeling of how big this still is.

    It has to be said that Adam Sandler did (I feel) give hi... read mores best at making this a serious role, but perhaps a mixture of knowing his comedic roles for so long and that it came across more like an impression of a character, rather than becoming the character himself, was a big thumbs down.

    In contrast, it almost seemed too easy a role for Don Cheadle to take on, so not his finest moment, but an enjoyable role.

    Watchable, but not necessarily believable.
  • fb733768972
    February 5, 2010
    fb733768972
    I thought that the acting was fantastic by all of the cast, and the story was just terrific, and it had just the right amount of laughs to not get depressed from the story. This was a very solid film!
  • emilebond007
    August 24, 2009
    emilebond007
    Touching.



    CAN I GET YOUR ATTENTION, EVERYONE ?

    > ADAM SNADLER CAN ACT.<

    Why wouldn't he make more movies like this one ?
  • Redlats
    June 9, 2009
    Redlats
    This is a wonderful movie. Adam Sandler in a serious role about his struggle to deal with the grief of losing his entire family in the 9/11 attack. Sandler is just barely holding himself together when he meets his college roommate (Don Cheadle) who actually is not doing so hot h... read moreimself. Both men benefit from their friendship.

    I was totally impressed with Sandler's acting in this film. Certainly different than his norm.
  • aliceinpunderland
    May 27, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    Don Cheadle is amazing in this supporting role. Adam Sandler is, at first glance, good, but upon closer observation, he's just playing adjectives - loud, catatonic, offended - not actions. As with Binder's The Upside of Anger, the plot is uneven and sometimes unre... read morealistic for the sake of emotional impact. There are some truly beautiful moments though - Charlie and Alan riding through the city, Charlie kissing his mother-in-law at the end. Reign Over Me starts off strong, dips dangerously close to "capitalizing on a tragedy" territory, then finishes okay.
  • clintervin
    May 13, 2009
    clintervin
    This portrait of grief and misunderstanding was difficult to bear. Cheadle once again proves his ability, and Sandler is effective, definitely a far cry from his early-career juvenile hijinks. No loss so sudden or tragic as Sandler's character's is easily resolved, but this chara... read morecter is impossible to understand or really empathize with. The crushing weight of his emotional instability and Cheadle and others' attempts to help will leave you thoroughly spent.

View All Reign Over Me Reviews

Critic Reviews

David Edelstein
March 26, 2007
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The film is slick when it needs to be raw, tidy when it needs to sprawl, and amorphous when it needs to focus. Full Review

Claudia Puig
March 23, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

This is not a simple, uplifting tale. It's never clear whether Charlie will fully recover, and that sense of realism is the film's strength. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
March 23, 2007
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

At the very least, it puts a whole new spin on Billy Madison. Full Review

Ruthe Stein
March 23, 2007
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

Reign Over Me isn't nearly as arresting as it should be given its powerful subject matter. Full Review

Lisa Rose
March 23, 2007
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger

There are lots of things in the script that ring false, but the acting is honest, witty and soulful. Sandler's performance is perfectly believable while the weak link, surprisingly enough, is the writ... Full Review

Lou Lumenick
March 23, 2007
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Mike Binder's oddball film keeps retreating into fantasy -- as if to avoid precisely the kind of issues that have kept the studios from confronting the legacy of 9/11. Full Review

Jack Mathews
March 23, 2007
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

Cheadle is good, as always, but Sandler's portrayal of a guy on the perennial brink of a psychotic breakdown is amazing. Full Review

Kevin Crust
March 23, 2007
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times

Movies about male friendship are often trivialized with the 'buddy' tag, but this one resonates beyond that. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 23, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

It's a tough ride, but worth it. Full Review

Rick Groen
March 23, 2007
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Reign Over Me drizzles down on us for two full hours, persistently determined to prove that, if it hangs around long enough, a coherent movie will turn up. No such luck. Full Review

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    • Charlie Fineman: I have no one. At least you two have each other. [Charlie talks to Mr.&Mrs.Timplemen]
    • Charlie Fineman: I even see the dog. That's how fucked up I still am! I look at a german shepherd I see our goddamned poodle!
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  • In the movie Reign Over Me which actor played Charlie?  Answer »
  • the movie reign over me is also the title of the song reign over me, what band plays this song?  Answer »
  • In the movie Reign over me what is Adam Sandlers choice of transportation  Answer »
  • What film did Adam Sandler appear in ?  Answer »
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