If Hollywood has taught us anything over the decades, it's that resentment, regret and anguish simmer beneath the surface of almost every seemingly perfect family.

The smiles and warm handshakes invariably conceal sibling rivalry and torment that has festered for years.

When someone says, 'I love you', you'll probably find their fingers are crossed behind their back.

And, yes, the title of Kirk Jones's gently paced journey of self-discovery is ironic.

Anchored by a warm and engaging lead performance from Robert De Niro (pictured) as a lonely widower who hopes to reconnect his fractured family, Everybody's Fine hits every emotional note we expect as it proves that the people we lie to the most are the ones we hold most dear.

Frank Goode (De Niro) has spent his life manufacturing the coating on millions of miles of telephone wires, which now separate him from his four children.

Alone in a house he once shared with his wife, Frank merrily organises a get-together, only for all four offspring to cancel at the last minute.

Unperturbed, Frank decides to pay surprise visits to his two sons and two daughters, despite a harsh warning from his doctor: "Fibrosis of the lungs requires you to take things easy. You know that."

Damon Smith