Nothing Happens Until It Happens to You

July 26, 2010
Middle-aged Jeffrey Reiner has a tough time adjusting to the unemployed life in Shine's competent if pat debut. When Jeffrey, a calendar editor at a Florida newspaper, gets pink-slipped, his blandly ordered life unravels. "One second I'm elated about going on to do other things in life," he says, "...and the next I want to puke." With little support from his wife and kids, Jeffrey befriends a 20-something female neighbor and makes halfhearted attempts at active unemployment, like drinking during the day with the other jobless and doing odd jobs. As his life spins out of control and the prospect of finding another job becomes more daunting, Jeffrey stumbles through a series of trials and exploits that give his life new meaning. Shine creates a relatable picture of a modern man dealing with the economic downturn (and, more pointedly, the sour state of newspapers), but Jeffrey's odyssey—"You're turning into an adventure story," the neighbor tells him—doesn't always ring true. A quick, tidy ending caps off a meandering story that can't quite find a proper destination.