Reign Over Me

Madison 23
Company type	Division
Industry	Film production
Founder	Adam Sandler
Parent	Happy Madison Productions

Reign Over Me is a 2007 American drama centered on friendship, both written and directed by Mike Binder and produced by his brother Jack Binder. The film stars Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Saffron Burrows, along with Binder himself. The narrative focuses on two former college roommates, Alan and Charlie, with Charlie grappling with severe depression following the loss of his wife and daughters in the September 11 attacks. This film marks the final acting role for Melinda Dillon.

Released by Columbia Pictures, the movie premiered in theaters on March 23, 2007, and later became available on DVD and Blu-ray on October 9, 2007. It represents the inaugural project from Madison 23, a dramatic division under Sandler's Happy Madison Productions.

Plot

Charlie Fineman’s life was shattered when the Twin Towers collapsed in 2001, resulting in the death of his wife and daughters. Five years onward, he has withdrawn into himself, avoiding conversations about his tragedy, much to the concern of his late wife’s parents, Jonathan and Ginger Timpleman.

An unexpected reunion occurs with Alan Johnson, Charlie’s former college roommate who is now a prosperous dentist facing his own familial and professional challenges. Alan is taken aback by Charlie’s deteriorated condition. To cope, Charlie immerses himself in music as a means to escape memories of his lost family.

Alan persuades Charlie to seek therapy; initially resistant and silent, Charlie gradually opens up about his sorrow. After an incident involving a suicide attempt staged as a confrontation with police, Charlie is admitted to a psychiatric facility.

Legal action commences to determine whether Charlie should be involuntarily committed. Judge David Raines defers to the wishes of Charlie's in-laws, who opt against institutionalization after Charlie reveals that he perceives his family’s presence in ordinary people around him. Subsequently, Charlie relocates to a new apartment to distance himself from painful reminders.

Alan visits him at this new residence; when Alan’s wife calls to express her affection and concern, Alan tries to take a ride home on Charlie’s scooter as the doorman brings it out but receives no response.

Cast

Adam Sandler as Dr. Charlie Fineman
Don Cheadle as Dr. Alan Johnson
Jada Pinkett Smith as Janeane Johnson
Liv Tyler as Dr. Angela Oakhurst, therapist to Charlie
Saffron Burrows as Donna Remar, patient perceived as Alan's "stalker"
Donald Sutherland as Judge David Raines
Robert Klein as Jonathan Timpleman, father-in-law to Charlie
Melinda Dillon as Ginger Timpleman, mother-in-law to Charlie
Mike Binder as Bryan Sugarman, protective best friend from before tragedy
Jonathan Banks as Stelter, Alan’s blunt dental partner
John de Lancie as Nigel Pennington, therapist arranged covertly by Alan
Rae Allen as Adell Modell, landlady who looks out for Charlie
Paula Newsome as Melanie, receptionist at Alan’s dental practice
Ted Raimi as Peter Saravino, attorney representing Charlie at committal hearing
B. J. Novak as Fallon, prosecutor's lawyer during committal hearing

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes tracks by artists such as Bruce Springsteen ("Out in the Street," "Drive All Night"), Graham Nash ("Simple Man"), and several songs by the Who, including the film’s namesake track "Love, Reign o'er Me." A cover version performed by Pearl Jam is also featured. Television trailers incorporated songs like "Ashes" by English group Embrace, "All These Things That I've Done" by the Killers, "How to Save a Life" by the Fray, and "In This Life" by Chantal Kreviazuk. The original score was composed by Rolfe Kent with orchestration handled by Tony Blondal.

Box office performance

The movie debuted with an opening weekend revenue of $7.46 million, screened in 1,671 theaters, resulting in an average of $4,465 per location. It ultimately earned $19.66 million domestically, while international markets contributed an additional $2.56 million, culminating in a global total of $22 million against its $20 million production budget.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 64% approval rating based on 153 critiques, with an average score of 6.3 out of 10. The site's consensus commends the "heartfelt and touching narrative about friendship and loss," highlighting the strong performances delivered by Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. Meanwhile, Metacritic assigns it a weighted average of 61 out of 100 from 33 reviews, reflecting "generally favorable" opinions. Viewer feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an A− grade.

Entertainment Weekly critic Lisa Schwarzbaum awarded the film a B−, acknowledging its blend of sincere intentions and occasional awkwardness, while applauding both the acting and storyline despite some unease regarding its use of the September 11 attacks as a narrative element. The New York Times characterized the film as "frustratingly inconsistent," noting that moments of genuine emotional impact were often offset by unevenness and superficial treatment.

The gaming website Kotaku lauded the movie for incorporating the video game Shadow of the Colossus, recognizing it as one of the pioneering Hollywood productions to thoughtfully engage with video games as a thematic component.

In a 2017 discussion with Vogue Magazine, actress Daisy Ridley revealed that Reign Over Me, starring Adam Sandler, is the film that moves her to tears more than any other.

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