The Good House (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
A Massachusetts-based, alcoholic real estate agent tries to revitalize her floundering career in 'The Good House' (directed by Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky). In the quaint seaside village of Wendover, Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver), is said real estate agent, divorced from Scott (David Rasche) - who left her after 22 yrs. of marriage for a man - and mother to Tess & Emily (Rebecca Anderson, Molly Brown). Polished Hildy often uses the contractor services of disheveled past lover, Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline, always a treat to see him with Weaver onscreen), to fix up places she's looking to sell, such as Cassie & Patch Dwight (Georgia Lyman, James LeBlanc) who have their hands full with their autistic son, Jake.
Hildy's high-functioning alcoholic ways have cut into her business, however; including having her former protege, Wendy (Kathryn Erbe), become her main rival. But she has a new pal in Rebecca McAllister (Morena Baccarin), a newly married artist who's already having a fling with local shrink, Peter Newbold (Rob Delaney). While trying to avoid knowledge of their tryst, Hildy hopes to re-energize her real estate business, but her drinking interferes ... big time. Drama ensues as Hildy tries to juggle her family {who keeps a sharp eye out for her drinking ways}, her business, a potential relationship with Frank, & dealing with long-suppressed demons from her familial past. Sounds like a downer, yes? But enough moments of levity persist.
I really enjoyed this movie. Low-key, charming adult drama/comedies like this should stick around theaters if they can. It's the sort that ya just don't see much anymore and, I heard lots of "Oh, that was MY kinda movie" from fellow audience members in my screening. Hildy Good is a great example of a distinguished woman who has lived a big life, and yet, is haunted enough by her past that it threatens ALL that she has in her present. The film tackles the complexities of a woman in her 60s that is grounded, yet also a bit fanciful {Hildy will break the 4th wall but turning to us audience members to let us know exactly what she's feeling throughout the film; and sometimes, her being an unreliable narrator to her own story makes it all-the-more interesting}.
Sigourney Weaver is excellent as a seemingly self-confident woman who is in denial about her loneliness & alcohol dependency {making excuses left & right}. It's a layered performance in which she handles wry humor & grim seriousness with aplomb. And I loved her easy chemistry with Kevin Kline; they were great together in 1993's political comedy Dave, 1997's somber The Ice Storm, & here, once again. Another strong suit of the film is its location; loved Nova Scotia acting as seaside New England. The movie is a bit of an odd duck; tackling elements of suburban satire, awkward romance & tragic addiction drama -- but I dug the dissonant concoction. There is a plethora of side characters that the film tries to juggle, but Weaver/Kline are the strong center amid the plot machinations. In the end, 'The Good House' is a true movie-movie; the kind that anyone can follow & be pleased with in the end.
Hildy's high-functioning alcoholic ways have cut into her business, however; including having her former protege, Wendy (Kathryn Erbe), become her main rival. But she has a new pal in Rebecca McAllister (Morena Baccarin), a newly married artist who's already having a fling with local shrink, Peter Newbold (Rob Delaney). While trying to avoid knowledge of their tryst, Hildy hopes to re-energize her real estate business, but her drinking interferes ... big time. Drama ensues as Hildy tries to juggle her family {who keeps a sharp eye out for her drinking ways}, her business, a potential relationship with Frank, & dealing with long-suppressed demons from her familial past. Sounds like a downer, yes? But enough moments of levity persist.
I really enjoyed this movie. Low-key, charming adult drama/comedies like this should stick around theaters if they can. It's the sort that ya just don't see much anymore and, I heard lots of "Oh, that was MY kinda movie" from fellow audience members in my screening. Hildy Good is a great example of a distinguished woman who has lived a big life, and yet, is haunted enough by her past that it threatens ALL that she has in her present. The film tackles the complexities of a woman in her 60s that is grounded, yet also a bit fanciful {Hildy will break the 4th wall but turning to us audience members to let us know exactly what she's feeling throughout the film; and sometimes, her being an unreliable narrator to her own story makes it all-the-more interesting}.
Sigourney Weaver is excellent as a seemingly self-confident woman who is in denial about her loneliness & alcohol dependency {making excuses left & right}. It's a layered performance in which she handles wry humor & grim seriousness with aplomb. And I loved her easy chemistry with Kevin Kline; they were great together in 1993's political comedy Dave, 1997's somber The Ice Storm, & here, once again. Another strong suit of the film is its location; loved Nova Scotia acting as seaside New England. The movie is a bit of an odd duck; tackling elements of suburban satire, awkward romance & tragic addiction drama -- but I dug the dissonant concoction. There is a plethora of side characters that the film tries to juggle, but Weaver/Kline are the strong center amid the plot machinations. In the end, 'The Good House' is a true movie-movie; the kind that anyone can follow & be pleased with in the end.