Posted: 09/03/2010

$5 A Day

by Michael J. Nicholas

In $5 A Day, Christopher Walken plays Nat, a conman who has lived most of his life by scheming others. However, Nat finds out that his days are limited due to be diagnosed with a terminal illness. Flynn, played by Alessandro Nivola, is Nat’s estranged son who wants nothing to do with his dad, based on his lack of being able to trust him.

Because Nat is such a good conman, he almost gets Flynn to join him on a cross country roadtrip to get medical treatment for his fatal diagnosis. At first Flynn declines to join his old man on the adventure, but then is pressured by his girlfriend Maggie(Amanda Peet) to help fulfill his father’s final wish. The two are short on cash so in order to get to point B, they realize that they can’t spend more than $5 a day. Well, in order for that to be possible, they have to con and scheme their way across the country to make it happen.

The movie is good but not great. And even though it’s labeled a comedy, it’s not laugh-out-loud funny; more of a touching comedy that doesn’t have too many memorable lines or scenes. It does have some decent supporting actors, like Sharon Stone, Dean Cain and Peter Coyote. I was waiting for the film to deliver a killer punch or a scene that would stick in my head, but that never happened.

Don’t get me wrong, $5 A Day is definitely worth a watch. It’s just not the kind of comedy I was expecting, especially with the star being Christopher Walken. The film is one of those movies that tries to touch the viewers’s heart and has an underlying message regarding relationships.

$5 A Day
Rated PG-13
98 Minutes

Blu-Ray and DVD Special Features include:
*Director and Cast Interviews
*Still Galleries
*Trailer

Michael J. Nicholas - a.k.a. Nicky The Note - reviews, opinions & life lessons.

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