THE EVERYTHING POT
https://tribecafilm.com/films/everything-pot-2024
In the Tribeca 2024 feature film THE EVERYTHING POT, two couples in vastly different places collide, and it all starts with a wedding gift.
Claire and Charlie are engaged. Charlie insists on inviting his former co-worker Rachel and her husband to the wedding. Newly empty-nesters, their overly enthusiastic RSVP triggers both couples to reevaluate their feelings.
Claire is irrationally jealous but without any specifics. Rachel and Adam are a lovely pair, filled with the familiarity of being with a partner for a long time. The film suggests that Rachel has lost interest as of late, but the mention of marital boredom only comes in the form of eye-rolls and innuendos from neighbor Gail.
There are many gaps that the audience needs to fill in. Charlie’s unresolved feelings towards Rachel go without much detail, and his waffling in making a move leaves Charlie coming off as flaky and inconsistent. It is a common theme as THE EVERYTHING POT plays out.
The most successful aspect comes in the natural dialogue between Rachel, Adam, and Gail. In the scene where they co-opt Adam’s phone over Claire’s childish shenanigans, the plot finally picks up the pace. Lisa Edelstein, Erik Griffin, and Gina Torres‘ talents feel wasted. Despite their delicious chemistry, there is a feeling as if entire scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Not that I’m suggesting making the runtime longer because I’m not.
The cast delivers enthusiasm and charm, but that “it” factor is missing in the script’s flow and pace. THE EVERYTHING POT ultimately falls flat.
Spotlight Narrative
Feature | United States | 90 MINUTES | English
Director
Sherise Dorf
Producer
Callie Bloem, Sherise Dorf, Lisa Edelstein, Christopher J. Ewing, Sean Patrick Kelly, Emily Sheehan, James Wolk
Screenwriter
Sherise Dorf
Cinematographer
Steven Breckon
Editor
Christopher J. Ewing
Composer
Jina Hyojin An, Shirley Song
Executive Producer
Edward Burns, Aaron Lubin
Co-Producer
Julianne Gabert
Cast
Lisa Edelstein, James Wolk, Gina Torres, Erik Griffin, Delaney Rowe, Deja Monique Cruz
Mort and Michelle’s dynamic feels incredibly forced. The dialogue is a bizarre mix of awkward bad jokes and deeply personal romantic words. It is a baffling mix. The story is a mess, and there are innumerable superfluous scenes. The pace is glacial. At an hour and fifty-six minutes, this could have been eighty minutes at the most. 
The most successful aspect of the film is Eric Roberts‘ soothing narration, but there are too many inconsistencies for the final twist to go down smoothly. This is one of those times where a flashback montage of all the clues would greatly benefit the film.
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