Product Details

• Actors: Scott Caan, Paul Costanzo, Jason Jones, Tricia Helfer, J.K. Simmons
• Directors: Jonathan Sobol
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Entertainment One
• DVD Release Date: August 28, 2012
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006YWIBAO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,771 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Duke White (Harvey Keitel) hasn't been an ideal father to his five boys. An inveterate gambler who never experienced a windfall he couldn't blow within twenty-four hours, he has come to the end of his rope, literally. Years ago, he signed up his three eldest sons for unsafe drug tests that turned out to have dire consequences: the boys' life expectancy have been substantially reduced. Upon receiving the news after their father's funeral, the sons return to their family home in Niagara Falls, where they respond to their eminent demises in different yet equally hilarious ways.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Sitcom Contrivances Fuel This Quirky Tale About Facing Mortality August 22, 2012

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

There is an appealing cast and a number of great ideas inherent in Jonathan Sobol's film "A Beginner's Guide To Endings," so I was really hoping for a deliciously dark comedy. But instead of focusing on the cleverness of the set-up, the screenplay opts for the slapstick choice at every opportunity. Thus, the film often feels like a live action cartoon when it might have been so much more. Purposefully over-the-top and unrelentingly quirky, the film never really develops its characters in a way that might connect you to their wacky antics. With the actors involved, the potential for this film to be really solid is apparent. And the bits that do work make me long for a more cohesive end product, one that was reliant on heart and smarts as opposed to the easiest laughs. Still "A Beginner's Guide to Endings" is amusing enough, if overly contrived, it just doesn't connect on the emotional level that it seems to desire.

The movie begins with Harvey Keitel in full suicide mode. As the patriarch of a family of five sons (from three different women), he has some major regrets in relating his tale of woe. As the boys get together in the aftermath of Keitel's disappearance, they learn a startling secret that has the oldest three facing down mortality itself. What would you choose to do if you found out your days were numbered? That is the question posed. The eldest, Jason Jones, has a chance to protect a younger brother and reclaim boxing glory. Scott Caan, a lothario that can't settle down, wants to reunite with the perceived love of his life (a nice change of pace for Tricia Helfer). And Paulo Costanzo wants to fulfill a bucket list of ridiculously dangerous tasks.... The movie follows these separate threads (and a few others) as each tries to affirm some meaning to the life they've lived. Through the outrageousness, there are life lessons to be learned by all.

There are a number of sentimental elements to "A Beginner's Guide To Endings" that are suggested but never fully realized. Brotherly love and fatherly approval are universal themes that could have been mined to ground the story. But the screenplay never really got close to making me care what actually happened (despite a strained metaphysical conclusion) and so we're left with the comedic side of the movie. Jones turned in my favorite performance and the Caan/Helfer storyline had some especially effective moments, but so much of the plot felt forced. Costanzo, in particular, suffered the most uninspired story. His bucket list pursuit was never really funny nor original, you've seen it countless times before (and usually much better). I certainly didn't hate "A Beginner's Guide To Endings," I just probably won't remember it in a couple of weeks. About 2 1/2 stars, I'll round up because of the cast and their commitment to the lunacy. KGHarris, 8/12 Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Saw this at the film festival December 19, 2012

By A. Tyler

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been waiting for this to come on DVD for 2 years after I saw it at a film festival. It was worth the wait. Super funny movie, got a copy for all of my friends.

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost tries too hard November 14, 2012

By Candy

Format:DVD

Although I loved this movie, it was almost like someone just thought of a bunch of one liners and wrote a script around it. The casting was a little odd for me, seeing Paulo Costanzo in a role that required him to be the straight-laced one. However, putting J.K. Simmons in it makes everything wrong with the movie somehow become right.

4.0 out of 5 stars A very funny and entertaining dark comedy that deserves to be watched. I really liked it. I say B+. September 2, 2012

By Tony Heck

Format:DVD

"The events leading up to my death were a lot like the rest of my life, things didn't go exactly as planned." Duke White (Keitel) is dead and his three sons are at the will reading. After hearing what they will get they also get another surprise, due to gambling problems their father signed them up for unsafe drug tests when they were babies and because of that they all find out they will die soon. All three sons handle the news differently but eventually they all take one last run at the one thing they have always wanted to do. Based off the preview this is a movie I was looking forward to. I really like these dark comedies and the cast was pretty good. I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie and laughed throughout, but this is another movie where I laughed at things I shouldn't be laughing at. The idea on it's own is pretty morbid but watching it it comes off as more comedy then depressing. There are some really funny lines in this and the running gag about Cal's (Caan) car is great and I loved hearing what they would say about it next. This is a very funny comedy but is not for everyone. Overall, really funny but this is a dark comedy so you must like that style of humor to fully enjoy this movie. I give it a B+

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Stereotypes Inc. September 3, 2012

By G. Teslovich

Format:DVD

Seen thirty times told before movie stereotypes of loser dad with lots of former wives (by various stereotyped marriages - hooker, Asian, etc.); gambles; self-centered to the point of making money off of his kids by enrolling them in, a supposedly for profit, drug testing program. Dad commits suicide (off screen) and so we follow his stereotypic kids, starting with the funeral, and as mostly adults with a variety of stereotypic dysfunctional personality quirks - selfish; non-commital; anal; not-so-bright; angry. All given unbelievable, over the top, characterizations. The usual boring traits you can look inside or across the street and see. As predicted everyone gets their individual acts together and everyone lives happily ever after. It was suppose to have some comical elements but they were all barely little snicker-laughs; about the same substance level as watered down non-fat milk.