The Answer Man
The Answer Man
R | 18 January 2009 (USA)
The Answer Man Trailers

Twenty years ago, Arlen Faber wrote a book about spirituality that became wildly popular. These days, he's a curmudgeonly recluse who only enjoys the company of his chiropractor, Elizabeth. As Elizabeth's warmth starts to melt Arlen's cold heart, he comes to realize what love really means.

Reviews
Diagonaldi Very well executed
Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring
Ploydsge just watch it!
Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
SnoopyStyle In 1988, Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels) wrote the spirituality book "Me and God" which became a best seller and a worldwide success. It's 20 years later and his identity is still a secret. His agent Terry Fraser (Nora Dunn) says he is beyond the world or possessions but in reality, he's more of a misanthrope. His mailman (Tony Hale) is a fan but thinks he's Arlen's assistant. Kris Lucas (Lou Taylor Pucci) returns from rehab to find his bookstore closed for 27 days after his assistant Dahlia (Kat Dennings) lost the keys. He is struggling with sobriety while living with his drunken father. Arlen is so frustrated that he tries to give away a stack of his books to Kris but Kris refuses. Arlen throws out his back and gets single-mom chiropractor Elizabeth (Lauren Graham). Anne (Olivia Thirlby) is her receptionist.The good aspect is the abundance of good actors in the cast. I love many of these actors. The pairing of Daniels and Graham is a great start. There are probably one or two too many characters. This could have been a nice rom-com. However, it tries to do so many things with these many characters. The theological stuff doesn't really work. It's too disruptive and Kris' struggle is distracting. In the end, this doesn't work quite enough.
Prashant singh First of all, I am a Big Fan of Jeff Daniels & Lauren Graham....and I am an ardent reader who loves Books like anything! And, the combo of four (Fourth, being the GOD!) made it deadly tempting for me to watch it all the more! Its a very sweet movie with its own pace showing when we ordinary people at times go through the Solitary phase of our lives...I won't start writing about the story or the characters but would leave it as something to look forward to. Its movie about all of us...searching for answers, looking up to God to help us find them....and in a way to find our own selves back.So If you love s simple, sweet story, love Books, Love God....then do watch it! Its not a master piece of any sort, just a simple sweet...good heart felt movie.
dbborroughs Jeff Daniels is the author of God and Me a self help book supposedly filled with all of the insights that God wants us to have. In the 20 years since its publication its become a cult industry with Daniel's character being a reclusive loner trying to work out the meaning of life. Into his life comes the mother of a young boy whom he meets when his back goes out, and the owner of a local bookstore he frequents. Wildly uneven, ultimately not really good, romantic comedy of sorts about a bunch of lost souls trying to find meaning and themselves. The problem here is purely the script which seems to go off in every which direction, as best explained by the opening scene where we meet the profanity spewing Daniels which then runs up against some of the scenes with Daniels and the son of the woman he's romancing. The later scenes are utterly charming and their tone seems at odds with the early stuff. yes I know there is arc to the characters but the shifts of tome happen all over the place often between scenes in sequence. It drove me mad because at its heart this is a really good story thats been put on to the screen not very well. In all honesty the film is worth seeing at some point (whats good is really choice) I just wouldn't pay money to do so. Wait for cable,
John_T_Chance If the purpose of the film was to make the viewer relate to the film exactly the way a reader would react to meeting fictional writer Arlen Faber then mission accomplished. I was deeply disappointed in this movie. As it unfolds, you expect the film to deliver something profound and moving. It never does nor even comes close. It's clichéd filled and aimless. It makes no real statement about faith and offers nothing of substance. The movie revolves are three characters and you never really emotionally connect with two of the three. The exception being the alcoholic bookstore owner, that character was well written. Unfortunately, the main leads are disappointingly weak. Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham deliver wonderful performances as expected but there really wasn't anything extraordinary for them to work with in terms of the script.A big disappointment.