Director Kirk Jones Wants You to Know that "Everybody's Fine"

Although his latest movie, "Everybody's Fine," is an American remake of a popular 1990 Italian film, director Kirk Jones said that he never saw the original. "Much of the inspiration for 'Everybody's Fine' came from a journey I took from New York City to Las Vegas three years ago," Jones said via telephone. "I took Greyhound Buses and Amtrak Trains."

Robert De Niro plays a widower with four kids in "Everybody's Fine"

In "Everybody's Fine," Robert De Niro plays Frank, a widower whose four children are living and working in various parts of the country. Although he plans a big holiday gathering with the whole family, Frank's kids suddenly start calling and cancelling, saying they have other obligations, but they all promise to see him soon.

Undaunted by their rejections, Frank packs his suitcase to visit each of his children. Unfortunately, as Frank makes his way from city to city, he learns that the kids have not been quite truthful with him about their lives or careers. "A lot of what I learned on that trip (I took), plus the 2,000 photos and countless interviews with people, helped qualify me to make an American road trip movie," Jones said.

Open communication is a problem in "Everybody's Fine"

Another interesting touch that Kirk Jones brings to "Everybody's Fine" is Frank's occupation. Now retired, Frank spent years putting the weatherproof coating on millions of miles of telephone wire that allow families talk to each other. "I wanted his occupation to be something that related to the film. To reconnect with his kids, he has to follow the wires," Jones said.

Though he spent decades working in the communications industry, Frank had trouble communicating with the kids as they were growing up. After his wife passes away, Frank really learns how much of a buffer she was between him and the children. "Even when I was casting the film, one-quarter of the people I met were getting tearful when they heard the plot," Jones said. "There was a real raw nerve there. Some grew up in families where the parents weren't proud of them."

During his current road trip to promote "Everybody's Fine," Jones found that the movie's themes really strike a chord with many people. "At a time when we like to get excited about the 'modern family,' many families are very traditional," Jones said. "Dads uphold authority, so if you want anything, you have to go to mom."

"Everybody's Fine," rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language, opens nationwide on Friday, December 4.