Letting Someone In
Reign Over Me Bridges Differences in Lives

Reconnecting with an old friend, long lost but not forgotten, can be difficult under the best of circumstances. When two lives diverge and take very different paths, finding common ground is hard. The necessity of making that connection and helping an old friend changes a man's life forever in the drama Reign Over Me.

Reign Over Me
Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle, left) tries to help an old friend, Charlie (Adam Sandler) put his life back together in the drama Reign Over Me. (Sony, 2007)
Directed by: Mike Binder
Written by: Mike Binder
Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, and Donald Sutherland

Rated R (for language and some sexual references)
Running time: 124 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.

Don Cheadle plays Alan Johnson, a dentist with a thriving practice, a lovely wife, and two great kids. Yet, it is also evident that he is suffering through some kind of midlife crisis, weighted down by the burden of his responsibility.

Entering into the picture is his old college roommate, Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler), who is lost in his own world following the tragic loss of his family. Alan reaches out, partially to rekindle an old friendship but also out of a need to help Charlie put the pieces of his life back together.

As Alan finds himself personally adrift with his wife Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith), his work, and his patients, he discovers the best therapy is helping Charlie. The road is not an easy one, however. Charlie has repressed so many emotions and memories that he has become untrusting and paranoid. Alan wants Charlie to find the help he needs, but discovers that it may upset his own life, too.

Reign Over Me is a gripping drama, with an uncharacteristic dramatic performance by Sandler. Cheadle, as expected, is terrific. (When is HE going to win an Oscar?) Surprisingly, Sandler doesn't steal the show. Even though Sandler puts in an award-winning performance, it is Cheadle's characterization of Alan that gives the story resonance.

Supporting performances by Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Paula Newsome, and Donald Sutherland add to the enjoyment. Tyler, despite constant references to her youthful appearance, is finally playing an adult role and it suits her. Newsome is perfect as the outspoken receptionist in Alan's office. It is Sutherland's cameo as a judge that intrigued me the most.

Writer and director Mike Bender creates a post-9/11 tragedy filled with emotion and heartbreak. That the tragedy of 9/11 is only revealed through dialogue and exists only as a catalyst for Charlie's tragic loss is interesting. Unlike the films to date that have focused on the events of that day (e.g. United 93 and World Trade Center), Reign Over Me uses the tragedy of 9/11 as a plot point. Does this magnify Charlie's loss or merely diminish the tragedy? Audiences are likely to be divided on this point.

The fact that Cheadle and Sandler bring weight to such a film gives credibility to Bender's story. I feel that the respect that is given to the subject matter allows a personal, but fictional, reflection on the tragedy. Maybe this is the first step for those -- like me -- who weren't ready yet to see the true story on the big screen.