Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Domestic Disturbance Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 5, 2024

Domestic bliss is upset in Domestic Disturbance, but movie formula is found to be in wedded bliss in every frame. Director Harold Becker (Sea of Love, Mercury Rising) has assembled a movie that is as by-the-book as they come, a film that could be the reference entry for "manufactured movies." The film lacks any and all sense of originality, instead content to piece together all of the well-worn Thriller motifs into a singularly, and almost grand, in a way, film of absolute unoriginality, and one so unoriginal one almost needs to stop and applaud its perfection in assembling together the stock pieces. But because it's so stock, it's also reliable. It offers no compelling reason to watch, but it's competently assembled, decently acted, and quick in its pace, at least making it a good example of why all of the cliche elements seen throughout have withstood the test of time.

The plot is really as simplistic as can be. Frank Morrison (John Travolta) is a builder of wooden boats who finds himself struggling to make ends meet in the era of plastic vessels. He's long separated from his ex-wife Susan (Teri Polo) but maintains a fairly close relationship with his son Danny (Matt O'Leary). Susan marries a shrewd investor named Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn) who has made a fortune by investing in a medical solutions company. It does not take long for Danny to realize that something is amiss with Rick. One night, he sneaks into the back of Rick's SUV and winds up witnessing him murdering a man. Unfortunately, nobody believes him. He continues to press but finds himself torn between the truth and Rick's threats. However, his persistence, and Frank's own investigation, reveals troubling truths that Rick may not be who he claims to be.

So, yes, the movie is as linear as can be, transitioning from one unsurprising scene to the next, from one "seen it coming a mile away" revelation to another, from one textbook entry to the next. It's difficult to critique the film beyond stating the obvious of its facsimile style, because there's nothing at all original on which to comment but nothing done so poorly as to warrant any real chastisement. The movie simply exists in a prefab sort of state that is well assembled and acted and all of that, but it is just one of those films that is absent any sort of identifiable soul, which gives no real reason for its existence, which cannot offer anything other than comfort in familiarity.

But, at least it does "generic" well enough. It's adequately shot, suitably acted, and well-paced, clocking in at just under 90 minutes, resulting in a neat and tidy experience that allows the film to play to its type without any sort of pretentious length. Atmosphere is not really a thing in the film, even if it looks bleak on Blu-ray, but the shoot at least conveys the basics of a foreboding world and narrative style. Acting is solid enough, with Vaughn turning in a very reliable work as a man who isn't necessarily mad but who is also not all there, who is not afraid to get his hands bloodied if it means getting what he wants and maintaining the facade. Neither he nor any of the other characters are really motivated beyond the basics on the page, and none of them find a sufficient heart and soul for their characters, but at least there's a sense of shape to them, even amidst the very flat and cookie cutter assemblage around them. Lastly, that quick runtime is most welcome. The film plays just long enough to get through the story and cuts out most any and all fat and fluff to keep things lean and working well enough within the generic construct parameters.

Domestic Disturbance Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount releases Domestic Disturbance to Blu-ray with a baseline serviceable 1080p transfer. The image is not at all dynamic, a net result which appears to be in part due to a weak transfer and in part due to uninteresting aesthetics within the film proper. On the surface, the image looks serviceable, offering a spiky grain structure that still looks better than the alternative of scrubbing it away and leaving a plastic, unnatural residue behind. While the image never thrives in terms of its textures and clarity, it at least maintains a semblance of film-like quality, capturing essential facial, clothing, and environmental detail that might not extend far beyond a good upscaled DVD but at least has the look of HD. The colors are dreary and depressed, seemingly by design, but to be sure the colors are flat, drab, and lacking much, if any, semblance of life and vitality. Even bright, sun drenched exteriors lack anything close to vivid, popping tones, and indeed the low light elements which pervade much of the film hold the image to a very flat and dull look. Whites are not very crisp and black crush is in evidence. Skin tones often take on something of a gray appearance. At least print wear is kept to a minimum, and compression issues are not commonplace. Could look a whole lot better, could look a whole lot worse.

Domestic Disturbance Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount releases Domestic Disturbance to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Much like the video, this one is adequate, lacking the crisp and lifelike fidelity found on superior, better engineered tracks, but this one engages with enough basic goodness to please in all of the basic areas of necessity. For example, music is adequately clear and nicely spaced, lacking real oomph and lifelike transparency but finding pleasing enough width and foundational clarity to get by, especially paired with a fairly generic movie like this one. The track handles some directional effects well, such as a truck moving left to right at the 47:47 mark. Listeners will find themselves immersed in a clap of thunder and some subsequent falling rain within the 29-minute mark, but again forget about experiencing anything even approaching absolute transparency into realism. Dialogue is at least suitably clear, well prioritized, and center grounded for the duration.

Domestic Disturbance Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Domestic Disturbance contains an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and a trailer. The main menu screen (which refreshes seemingly every 30 seconds or so) features a static image with no overlaying music and only options for "Play Movie," "Extras," and "Subtitles." No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (480i 1.78:1 and window box, 8:16 total runtime): Included are Danny Tells Frank About the Murder, The Next Morning, Outside the Courtroom, Rick and Susan Celebrate, Danny's Stomachache, and Frank and Danny on the Dock. With optional audio-only introduction by Director Harold Becker as well as optional audio commentary by Director Harold Becker.
• Domestic Disturbance Theatrical Trailer (480i, 4x3, 2:28).
• Audio Commentary: Director Harold Becker guides audiences through the film with a well-rounded and well-versed insight into the film.

Domestic Disturbance Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Domestic Disturbance is to be remembered for anything, it will be for its strict adherence to formula, its by-the-book approach to story shaping and storytelling. It's serviceable across the board, and I'll admit I was modestly entertained for the duration, even as the film never pushes any boundaries. It was mostly the acting that kept the film going, certainly with no award-worthy efforts but there's just enough of an edge to Vaughn's character and just enough heart in Travolta's to keep the film interesting (Travolta is not great in the film, but his is not a Razzie-worthy effort, either; he was nominated for the "award" for his work in this film). Paramount's Blu-ray is very mediocre, though, offering merely passable video and audio. A few extras are included, primarily in the form of a decent commentary and a few throwaway deleted scenes. Worth a buy if it ever falls to about the $7 price point.