Everybody Wins (1990)

Modern noir, written by Arthur Miller, drowns in pretensions while pretending to be a murder mystery; the only mystery is how this murky, congested screenplay attracted stars Nick Nolte and Debra Winger (both treading water). After a New England doctor is murdered and a young suspect is named, a schizophrenic local woman, who believes the boy is innocent, hires an investigator from out-of-town to ferret out the facts. Winger's performance is like a high-wire act: she's fruity, irrational, always teetering on total collapse. Perhaps with handling that was more restrictive and writing that had more focus, this unbalanced character might have generated audience empathy (or at least made some sense). As it is, she's the wobbly centerpiece of an already-shaky melodrama, one that eventually crumbles around the actors like a house of cards. NO STARS from ****

I rented this movie with my wife via Digital Cable because the teaser sounded interesting and we honestly hadn't heard anything about it. After watching it, I understand why. This movie is pointless and stupid. I knew as soon as it opened that we were in trouble. The scene the opening credits and the music all look like the belong in three different films. I couldn't say enough bad things about this movie.

The Chemistry between Winger and Nolte is very dry. If you need a lot of blood, gun play and explosions then this movie is not for you. It unfolds in a tortured manner which I happen to enjoy. The people of this small town are not flashy or larger than life, They are ordinary and have settled into a predictable pattern. The importance of each character is presented to us in an unpredictable sequence which tends to keep the audience off balance and somewhat unsettled. Most of the interplay is understated- another feature which, in an era of grandiosity, is refreshing. If the viewer has the patience to allow the story to unfold the reward will be well worth the investment of time.

Oh, my goodness, this was quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. At the end of the film, I found myself asking what the point of the whole thing was, and yet I couldn't come up with an answer. This movie has almost NO plot. The fact that it was filmed in my hometown couldn't even save it. Not that Nolte nor Winger did a bad job, but I definitely would not recommend this film to anyone who may be on the edge of whether to watch it or not... You'll find yourself, at the end, saying "Whatever..."