“The Answer Man,” starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham, is about people that are trying to find real answers to real problems and make meaning of their lives. Writer/director John Hindman has created a comedy/drama about faith that manages to be real and entertaining at the same time. Twenty years ago, Arlen Faber (Daniels) wrote an immensely popular book called “Me and God,” in which he claimed that God spoke to him and provided him with answers to life’s biggest questions. The impact of this book was so great that when we first meet him, Arlen is a bitter, angry recluse. Arlen’s life changes when he meets two people: Elizabeth (Graham), a single mother/chiropractor who just opened her own business and treats him for a back injury and Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci), a young used bookstore owner who’s just out of rehab and trying to save his shop while maintaining his sobriety.
One major pleasure in “The Answer Man” is watching the characters interact with each other and they do this in interesting ways. These three people have broken souls and they begin to heal each other. Arlen begins to feel again, first when he’s smitten with Elizabeth and then when he tries to guide Kris. He discovers that he actually wants connections to other people. The characters do not learn big life lessons; they learn small truths that lead to bigger truths. Hindman’s script suggests that people often look to God for answers, when, in truth, He gave us each other. The acting is another pleasure. Jeff Daniels gives a truly great performance. He doesn’t shy away from the nasty, mean side of Arlen’s character, yet he possesses enough likeability that we side with him, even when he’s being a jerk. Lauren Graham gives us an Elizabeth who is confident in her work, but less so about raising her small son. Lou Taylor Pucci makes Kris’ torment authentic without being annoying. “The Answer Man” proves that love and friendship are powerful antidotes to sorrow and heartbreak. It’s a terrific film. 7/24/09
This film is a multi-faceted story of some lost people with problems that many people face in this world. Few writers or movie makers attempt to tackle these issues as successfully as has John Hindman in this off-beat film. Hindman shows us people who have basically given up on life because they feel the world is against them. Arlen Faber has the power within him to solve all of their problems but chose instead to be a bitter hermit unwilling to face the world or to create happiness in his life. Once Elizabeth gives him a reason to live his shriveled stems begin to bloom. I loved this movie!
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