Lack of good storyline.

good back-story, and good acting

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Blistering performances.

The problems with "Mighty Fine" begin with the genre. Let's make this clear, it's not a comedy. There are a few moments and lines at the beginning that aren't as serious and fairly humorous, but it's a drama. The plot quickly devolves into a full-on family drama with serious issues where the characters need to rely on their internal strength to rise above.Joe Fine (Chazz Palminteri) moves his whole family from Brooklyn to New Orleans in 1974, and literally he moves them since he didn't tell them in advance. Surprise! Oddly most of the characters don't see anything wrong with that. The other main member of the Fine clan is Maddie (Rainey Qualley) she's the one that doesn't think this is quite right and is the only one we can understand, care for and sympathize with. The younger daughter, Natalie (Jodelle Ferland), is fine too but she's much younger and more care free.The father has money, status and other similar issues. He has a need to provide for his family and if that is ever in jeopardy he becomes increasingly unstable. It unfortunately was probably a common characteristic among war vets of the era. And that's why I have such a problem with this being classified as a comedy. The story probably applies to other families and it's not likely something they want to relive as a light-hearted laugh-fest! I wonder if Adopt Films would be willing to pay for their therapy afterwards? I doubt it.Now that you're fairly warned about the dramatic issues explored, the teenage daughters were good characters, likable, which is pretty important and the young actresses were good (include Andie MacDowell's daughter Rainey Qualley). Palminteri gives a forceful performance but don't expect him to veer too far from his mobster typecast roots. The poorest realized character was the "mother". That word goes in quotation marks because I feel sorry for anybody who was "raised" by that character. She's not a terrible person, she's just not a person. MacDowell put on a terrible European accent and paraded around the house parroting everything that her unstable, deceitful and volatile husband said. Thankfully "Mighty Fine" is pretty short and eventually the daughters become their own role models.Who Might Like This: People who like 70s-era family dramas; people who like stories of teenagers finding the internal strength to rise above their circumstances.

Set in the 70's, a family of 4 moves from their home in Brooklyn to New Orleans to begin a new life. By all appearances this is a happy, thriving family... but, they have a secret. The father, Joe Fine, played by Chazz Palminteri, has anger issues. His wife, Stella, played by Andie McDowell, is an enabler. The daughters, "Maddy" and "Natalie" suffer the consequences of their father's unpredictable mood swings. Joe Fine is the king of his castle, who feels that his self worth is determined by his wealth. He enjoys a lavish lifestyle until overseas competition takes a tole on his business. The prospect of failure puts Joe in a tailspin that nearly causes the destruction of his family. Stella has been abused for so long that the abuse seems normal and she makes excuses for her husband's behavior, rather than confronting him about it. Maddie, the 16 year old daughter, constantly butts heads with her dad and the more demanding he becomes the more she fights back. The youngest daughter, Natalie, is somewhat more forgiving. The movie is told from the vantage point of a grown up Natalie, looking back on her childhood. The narration is provided by Janeane Garofolo. It's been said that a good movie lingers with you long after you've seen it. This is definitely the type of movie that you'll think about, and probably talk about, for quite a while. It's not easy to watch. In fact, there are scenes that will have you holding your breath. During the chat with the author, Debbie Goodstein, and actors, I learned that Joe Fine wanted to be Super Dad, he loved his family and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for them. This is not at all how I viewed Joe in the movie. When he 'treats' his family to an Elvis Presley concert, an elaborate house, a new car, and jewelry I felt he was trying to make up for the abuses he'd put his family through...like a man who hits his wife and and later brings her flowers and begs for forgiveness. I could not be sympathetic to Joe. In fact, like his daughter, Maddy, the more Joe gave his family, the more I disliked Joe. Without giving away the ending, I'll just say there is hope for this family.

I recently had the opportunity to see a movie premier online. I must say that the experience really was, well very nice. The movie itself was very good. Not one that I would normally go to, I tend to go to movies for escapism like Avengers and Battleship. But this movie proved me wrong. The subject matter is one that hits quite close to home, thankfully not exactly but close enough. The dad, Joe played by Chazz Palminteri is a business owner who moves his family down south to New Orleans. The rest of the family Stella, Andie MacDowell, the mom and the daughters Natalie, Jodelle Ferland, and Maddie, Rainey Qualley are along for the ride. But things are not going so well, and Joe's old anger management problems surface again.

The Mighty Fine red carpet blogger movie premiere and Q&A session afterward with Chazz Palminteri and Jodelle Ferland was amazing!Most of the time I watch movies to escape or just enjoy the moment but Mighty Fine goes in a completely different direction. Set in the 1970's helps viewers remember their childhood, complete with an 8 track player and disco ballUnfortunately family life is not ideal and soon the viewer witnesses the inner workings of a man unraveling from his rage. Anyone who has ever been through an abusive situation will understand the movie in an all too familiar way.Everyone has a role to play and it may be very uncomfortable for you to recognize the rebel, the poet, the enabler, or even the ticking time bomb. What is important is that you recognize it.Every adult should see Mighty Fine. This movie is for the ones who have been through it, the ones who cause it, and the ones who have no understanding of it. Mighty Fine will open your eyes.