The Answer Man (Arlen Faber) (2009)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Nicki M

  
  Nice little movie. I enjoyed it. Nothing amazing happens in it, but it is very watchable and has a great cast including Lauren Graham and Lou Taylor Pucci. The lives of a few people cross including a chiropractor (Lauren Graham), a grumpy writer (Jeff Daniels) and a guy recently… More
  Nice little movie. I enjoyed it. Nothing amazing happens in it, but it is very watchable and has a great cast including Lauren Graham and Lou Taylor Pucci. The lives of a few people cross including a chiropractor (Lauren Graham), a grumpy writer (Jeff Daniels) and a guy recently out of rehab (Lou Taylor Pucci). All are dealing with issues in their day to day lives. Funny and moving.

• Andres S

  
  I'm usually very scepticle of my mothers taste in movies, but she insisted I watch this movie. The plot is interesting, but it stole many elements from "As Good as it Gets". The story revolves around a writer who became famous for writing a book about how he could talk… More
  I'm usually very scepticle of my mothers taste in movies, but she insisted I watch this movie. The plot is interesting, but it stole many elements from "As Good as it Gets". The story revolves around a writer who became famous for writing a book about how he could talk to God and the answers he got, a chiropractor who loves her son more then anything in the world, and the alchoholic owner of a book store who is struggling through hard times and just needs answers. If you're at the movie store with your girlfriend, and you see it there, and they have no copies of "{500} Days of Summer" left, get this movie. I almost cried at the end. Thats saying a lot because I have only cried watching 5 movies in my life. The very best part of this film though, is the answers. The book store owner makes a deal with the writer to take books for answers to questions. The answers that this writer comes up with are the best answers to questions I've ever heard. This film may be recycled material, but the thinking is fresh. If you need to watch a movie that makes you think, rent this movie.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  JEFF DANIELS, LAUREN GRAHAM, LOU TAYLOR PUCCI, KAT DENNINGS, MAX ANTISELL, OLIVIA THIRLBY, NORA DUNN Everyone wants to meet Arlen Faber, the world famous author of the best-selling spiritual book "Me and God", but crotchety, disgruntled Arlen simply wants to be left alone… More
  JEFF DANIELS, LAUREN GRAHAM, LOU TAYLOR PUCCI, KAT DENNINGS, MAX ANTISELL, OLIVIA THIRLBY, NORA DUNN Everyone wants to meet Arlen Faber, the world famous author of the best-selling spiritual book "Me and God", but crotchety, disgruntled Arlen simply wants to be left alone - and so far he's been successful in keeping his identity a secret. But all that changes when troubled bookstore owner Kris Lucas discovers his home address and barters books for Arlen's words of wisdom, and a back injury leads the reclusive writer to begin dating chiropractor and overprotective single mother Elizabeth. As Arlen's relationships with his new-found friends begin to grow, he must come to terms with his past and the realization that he doesn't hold all the answers. No matter how knowledgeable anyone appears, they don't know it all and no one has all the answers. Really liked this film a lot. Read some comments stating its a romantic comedy. I disagree. Nothing really romantic at all about this film. A bit of a love story, yes. Really falls under the category of a 'dark dramedy'. It's mainly about three different people who lives somehow get intertwined with each others, and how they come from their new found relationships changed. It's a smart, honest film that wasn't predictable. Which is always refreshing. Really enjoyed the movie. Hope more see it. Loved Jeff Daniels in this movie. Always gives an honest performance. These characters are believable and relatable. They all deal with everyday issues. Just really glad I found this one. Lauren Graham was good, and I really thought Lou Taylor Pucci did a great job as well. When the little boy, Alex, asks Arlen (Jeff Daniels) 'how long is two weeks?', it made so sad for him. If or when you watch the movie you will know why. Anyways, great watch, definitely recommend it.

• Leigh R

  
  I thought it was kind of cute, but not top notch. Great cast, though not at their best acting degrees. No matter what, I LOVE LAUREN GRAHAM so everything is all good...

• Walter M

  
  In "The Answer Man," Dahlia(Kat Dennings) misplaced the key to the bookstore where she works for the 27 days her boss, Kris(Lou Taylor Pucci), had been in rehab. Due to this unfortunate chain of events, they have no cash to buy books from Arlen Faber(Jeff Daniels), an… More
  In "The Answer Man," Dahlia(Kat Dennings) misplaced the key to the bookstore where she works for the 27 days her boss, Kris(Lou Taylor Pucci), had been in rehab. Due to this unfortunate chain of events, they have no cash to buy books from Arlen Faber(Jeff Daniels), an insanely famous writer of "Me and God," who has become a recluse because he does not want to answer stupid questions all the time and the idea of heading a cult is not appealing to him. In the process of lugging the books around, he throws out his back, leaving him paralyzed on the floor of his house. If his long-suffering agent Terry(Nora Dunn) had her way, his remains would be found there thousands of years in the future by extraterrestrials. Luckily, he regains enough movement to crawl on his hands and knees to the neighborhood chiropractor, Elizabeth(Lauren Graham, forever cursed to play single mothers). "The Answer Man" wastes a valuable opportunity to poke fun at self help books by instead taking a touchy-feely approach. Yes, we all need a group hug but there's nothing wrong with a little cynicism, either. And the opening was promising with one of the spinoffs being titled "Me and God for Atheists"(that does not mean I would ever read such a book, though) and Faber revealed to be a misanthropic bastard.(As his friendly mailman(Tony Hale) puts it, he may have written his book but never read it.) However, that is about it for any intelligent thought until a moment of clarity that comes much too late. All of which a good cast(yes, even including Nora Dunn) can do little with. Come to think of it, Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham do make for a rather strange couple.

• Sol C

  
  Great film. Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham shine in this film. Also good supporting work from Lou Taylor Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, and Kat Dennings. I definitely recommend this film.

• Panta O

  
  John Hindmanwith his debut film THE ANSWER MAN is coming very close to another Jeff Daniels movie - The Squid and the Whale, but with no punch! Lauren Graham (?Gilmore Girls?) gives us her best but there is still a lot to be desired. The movie is interesting to watch and there is no… More
  John Hindmanwith his debut film THE ANSWER MAN is coming very close to another Jeff Daniels movie - The Squid and the Whale, but with no punch! Lauren Graham (?Gilmore Girls?) gives us her best but there is still a lot to be desired. The movie is interesting to watch and there is no boring bits. I think it is much better to watch it on DVD then spending money on the big screen.

• Jason R

  
  I really enjoyed the movie! I don't know why it scored so low with critics, the acting is great and the story is really good.

• Sarah P

  
  I was horribly disappointed. Usually I love Jeff Daniels. I thought this would be more of a critical look at people blindly following and worshiping someone they think has a connection with "God", but it turned out to be romantic comedy drivel with a predictable ending.

• Jim W

  
  I like the cast but the plot didn't blow me away since it's not as original as it thinks. The whole time watching, I was thinking of As Good as it Gets. I mean, in both films you have a self-centered jerk that doesn't like people who finds himself with a friend (Lou… More
  I like the cast but the plot didn't blow me away since it's not as original as it thinks. The whole time watching, I was thinking of As Good as it Gets. I mean, in both films you have a self-centered jerk that doesn't like people who finds himself with a friend (Lou Taylor Pucci) and possibly a girlfriend (Lauren Graham). Jeff Danials is really good as always but the movie just didn't feel fresh to me. I also never bought that people who read his book are dumb enough to believe that everything he wrote in his popular book came from god. It never occurred to them that a writer came up with everything for his book on his own. I also felt that the movie was in too much of a hurry to end for the changes Daniels goes through to be believable. I mean in the scenes before the end he's still a jerk and then bam we're supposed to believe that some how he changed. His speech in the end didn't even convince me that he wasn't a jerk. To me his speech at the book store in the end is cruel in a way since it probably hurt his friend's (Taylor Pucci) bookstore more than it helped. Yeah him being there may have got the bookstore money in one day but it probably would have helped the store more if he just shut-up and signed some books.

• Jonny C

  
  Good movie. The Answer Man is about a reclusive author of spiritual books, who is pursued for advice by a single mother and a man fresh out of rehab. I liked the story. I found the script intelligent, with likeable characters and enjoyable R-rated dialogue. I like seeing Jeff Daniels… More
  Good movie. The Answer Man is about a reclusive author of spiritual books, who is pursued for advice by a single mother and a man fresh out of rehab. I liked the story. I found the script intelligent, with likeable characters and enjoyable R-rated dialogue. I like seeing Jeff Daniels in films like this, as he always raises the movies watchfulness factor that bit higher.

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