Synopsis

Years after losing his wife and daughters in the September 11 attacks, Charlie Fineman has withdrawn from the world and lives through music, video games, and isolation. A chance reunion with his former college roommate, Alan Johnson, reconnects Charlie with friendship and gradually brings his buried grief into the open. Alan must also confront the emptiness beneath his own apparently successful life.

Factoids & Trivia

• The title comes from The Who song "Love, Reign O'er Me," which appears in the film. Pearl Jam recorded a cover for the end credits.

• Charlie's video game is Shadow of the Colossus for PlayStation 2. Its recurring images of towering creatures collapsing and its story of trying to restore a lost loved one add symbolic weight to Charlie's trauma.

• Reign Over Me was the first feature released by Madison 23 Productions, the drama label created under Adam Sandler's Happy Madison banner.

• The film was released theatrically in the United States on March 23, 2007. It earned approximately $22.2 million worldwide against an estimated $20 million budget.

• The movie marked Melinda Dillon's final film role.