I'll never forget the first time I saw a trailer promise the moon and deliver a cardboard cutout. Everything's Going to Be Great—Lionsgate's latest dramedy—flashed across my screen with a retro glow, a theater family chasing dreams against a starry backdrop. But something felt… off. Too perfect. Too staged.
The trailer for Everything's Going to Be Great, directed by Jon S. Baird, leans hard into nostalgia. You've got Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston as Macy and Buddy Smart, a regional theater couple juggling oversized dreams and family chaos. Their sons, played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Jack Champion, are polar opposites—one's a dreamer, the other's a realist. Add Chris Cooper's gravitas, and it's a cast that screams “prestige indie.” The trailer's tagline, “Until then, act like it is,” paired with a sunlit poster of suitcases and stage lights, sells a warm, fuzzy tale of self-discovery. But here's teh kicker—those polished visuals might be a sleight of hand.
The Smart family's journey mirrors the real-life grind of theater folks, where “things change on a dime,” as the trailer puts it. It's a relatable struggle—finding your voice, your place, no matter your age. Yet the trailer's upbeat tone feels almost too wholesome for a Baird film. This is the guy who gave us Filth, a gritty dive into moral decay, and Tetris, a surprisingly tense corporate thriller. So why does this feel like a Hallmark movie with better lighting?
Let's talk historical context. Over the past decade, family dramedies have been a mixed bag. Think The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)—Noah Baumbach's take on dysfunctional artists, which balanced humor and heartbreak with raw authenticity. Or The Intern (2015), a lighter but less memorable attempt at cross-generational charm. What sets Everything's Going to Be Great apart is its theater backdrop—a world rarely explored in mainstream cinema since Birdman (2014) blew us away with its chaotic, one-take energy. But where Birdman used the stage to expose raw human insecurity, this trailer feels… sanitized.
Baird's track record suggests he's not afraid to get messy—Stan & Ollie (2018) dug into the bittersweet decline of a comedy duo with quiet devastation. So, I'm betting there's a twist here. The trailer's glossy optimism might be a front for a darker commentary on the cost of chasing dreams. Maybe Buddy's “unstoppable” ambition tears the family apart before bringing them back together. Maybe Macy's role as the glue comes with a quiet, heartbreaking toll. The trailer isn't telling—but the clues are there.
Everything's Going to Be Great hits the Tribeca Film Festival this summer before a June 20th, 2025, theatrical release. You'll either love its sunny vibe or smell a rat in its perfection. What's your take—does this trailer scream “wholesome hit” or “hidden gut-punch”? Drop your thoughts below.
