In Reign Over Me, a scruffy Adam Sandler bears a strong resemblance to the midcareer Bob Dylan.

His performance as a sad and lost man is occasionally as poignant as one of the heart-wrenching songs on Dylan's seminal 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. Indeed, music from that era plays a big part in the film. The songs chosen for the score — rock ballads by Bruce Springsteen, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, The Pretenders, The Who and Pearl Jam — illuminate and amplify the darkly emotional mood.

The film meanders a bit and seems to lose some steam about halfway through. But the chemistry between Sandler and Don Cheadle keeps us engaged. Writer/director Mike Binder has fashioned a film that sensitively explores male friendship and the lingering effects of grief and trauma.

Sandler plays Charlie Fineman, a former dentist who lost his wife and three daughters on Sept. 11. Five years later, Charlie has not recovered, coping by trying to block out memories of his family by regressing to a near-adolescent state.


Binder wisely cast Sandler for the part of this man-child, who putters around the city on a motorized scooter, is addicted to video games and listens obsessively to his iPod.

A chance encounter with his college roommate, Alan Johnson (Cheadle), prompts Charlie to begin to emerge from his isolated state. And Alan rediscovers a sense of his own identity, which he had surrendered by focusing on his dental practice and marriage to the needy Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith).

This is not a simple, uplifting tale. It's never clear whether Charlie will fully recover, and that sense of realism is the film's strength.

Amid the somber themes are winning moments of humor and hope. One comic highlight is provided by Alan's receptionist, played by Paula Newsome, last seen as the surly bereavement counselor in Little Miss Sunshine.

A subplot involving a dental stalker (Saffron Burrows) feels formulaic, as do scenes between Charlie and his shrink (Liv Tyler). The story is at its best when it focuses on the reinvigorating effect of friendship between two middle-aged men.

Reign Over Me is a much better choice for Sandler than last year's clichéd Click and a wise departure from his sophomoric comedies. Cheadle demonstrates his range with this subtly winning performance.

Binder showed promise as a storyteller with his last film, The Upside of Anger. But he comes closer to realizing his potential with Reign Over Me.