Reign Over Me

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Reign Over Me

R

2007

2h 4m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

64%

Tomatometer

151 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler), who lost his family in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, still grieves over their deaths. He runs into his former college roommate, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), and the two rekindle their friendship. Alan himself is feeling the strain of family and professional responsibilities, and his renewed bond with Charlie gives both men the strength to carry on during a turning point in their lives.

Critics Consensus

Reign Over Me is a charming, affecting tale of friendship and loss, with solid performances from Adam Sandler as a broken, grief-stricken man and Don Cheadle as his old friend and savior.

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Sukhdev Sandhu

Daily Telegraph (UK)

04/20/2007

This film manages to be not just bearable, but on occasion actually quite affecting.

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Andrew Pulver

Guardian

04/20/2007

2/5

Without Sandler, Reign Over Me would be a gloopy, post-9/11 love-in, making cavalier use of a fine but helpless cast.

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Ian Johns

The Times (UK)

04/20/2007

2/5

It's as if 9/11 was simply coopted to bring an extra weight to a script that couldn't be trusted to deliver on its own.

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/21/2019

Binder does an excellent job of creating interesting characters with compelling stories and sprinkles in some humorous moments. The characters are given life by a talented cast.

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Mattie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

06/06/2019

3.5/4

Binder's screenplay is a thing of gentle beauty, and indeed so is the film as a whole.

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

11/03/2018

4/5

Mike Binder likes to fatten up his movies with side stories... These asides are distracting and enjoyable if a little flabby in places. This detracts from what is mostly a thoughtful, even stupefying study/comedy of human frailty.

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Sharang L

@Scribe187 2d

Hopelessly muddled. The courtroom scenes towards the end are beyond farcical. Sandler's performance is indistinguishable from his various other portrayals of dimwits in comedies, which is a major problem.

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Sam I

@SamUSA 4d

I am not a Sandler fan except Spanglish where he and the film was good, but I liked him in this, he really acts. Don Cheadle is always wonderful.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom 5d

Reign Over Me has a genuinely interesting concept and some emotional moments, but the overall film feels more middle-of-the-road than great. It tries to balance drama, friendship, and personal trauma in a serious way, and while the idea is strong, the execution feels uneven at times. The performances are definitely the highlight. The chemistry between the lead characters keeps the movie engaging, and there are scenes that feel heartfelt and authentic. The film also deserves credit for attempting a more grounded emotional story instead of relying on constant melodrama. At the same time, the pacing can drag, and certain moments feel overly stretched out when they could have been more impactful with tighter writing. Overall, it’s a cool idea for a drama with solid acting and a few memorable scenes, but it never fully reaches the emotional depth it aims for. I still found it worthwhile for the performances and themes, even if it feels somewhat mid in the end. I rate it a 6/10.

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Christina D.

@NinaNinaBobina May 3

My all time favorite Sandler movie. Cheadle also throws in a powerful performance. This movie shows loss on a deeply emotional level. It’s both haunting and riveting at the same time.

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J B

@RT87465558 Apr 25

Full disclosure- I’m not an action movie fan. I like character studies and questions about how alternately beautiful and unbearable existance can be. This movie check the boxes . Adam Sandler proves that once again, he’s a brilliant actor- quite believable in this role. And Dan Cheadle is always brilliant. This movie on break your heart and show you why you need people But sometimes you have to choose your own family.

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Maureen A

@RT27098263 Apr 22

Wow- Adam Sandler was outstanding in this movie. Gives great insight into understanding pain and grief and how grief is individual and doesn't just fit a schedule.

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Mike Binder

Director

Adam Sandler

Charlie Fineman

Don Cheadle

Alan Johnson

Jada Pinkett Smith

Janeane Johnson

Liv Tyler

Angela Oakhurst

Saffron Burrows

Donna Remar

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Synopsis

Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler), who lost his family in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, still grieves over their deaths. He runs into his former college roommate, Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), and the two rekindle their friendship. Alan himself is feeling the strain of family and professional responsibilities, and his renewed bond with Charlie gives both men the strength to carry on during a turning point in their lives.

Director: Mike Binder
Producer: Michael Rotenberg
Screenwriter: Mike Binder
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: 3 Arts Entertainment, Sunlight Productions
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 23, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.7M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)