Year of Release: 2021
Director: Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, David Rasche, Rebecca Henderson, Molly Brown, Kathryn Erbe, Kelly AuCoin, Georgia Lyman, Beverly D'Angelo, Paul Guilfoyle, Jimmy LeBlanc, Holly Chou
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon
Synopsis and Review
"The Good House" is the first credited release of the directing duo of Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, though individually they've directed quite a few features of their own (Forbes directed "Infinitely Polar Bear" and Wolodarsky directed "Seeing Other People", and they have also written many other features including "The Rocker" and "Monster Vs. Aliens", to name but a few). "The Good House" is an adaptation of the novel by Ann Leary and the directors/writers collaborated with Thomas Bezucha on the script. It focuses on the life of Hildy Good, a realtor in the beautiful area of Andover, who has been struggling to catch a break. She's gone through a divorce, and her former assistant Wendy, has stolen some of her clients while she was in rehab for alcoholism (at the insistence of her daughters). Hildy has been attempting to help a local family with an autistic child sell their home, and asks local handyman Frank, whom she has always been attracted to, if he can help them with some house renovations. Hildy also navigates the social ecosystem of the town, having befriended Rebecca, a recent addition to the community who is married to a well off man, but who is having an affair with Peter, the local psychiatrist, someone Hildy has known all her life. Hildy's life gets progressively more out of control, as her drinking escalates, and as she reminisces about her own mother, and what drove her to her sad ending.
"The Good House" is an interesting film that experiences a rather darker tonal shift midway through it, but one that remains thoroughly engaging very much due to the impeccable central performance from Sigourney Weaver. As the narrative commences, Hildy's breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly, feels very much like a series of snarky and very self aware comments about her own life and those in it. These comments are incisive and funny, and give Hildy this loose and relaxed vibe that instantly make her charismatic and relatable. However as the narrative progresses, and her issues with alcohol abuse become more pronounced and her ability to lead her life seem to evaporate further and further, that joyous tone also becomes less and less visible, revealing a woman who has been avoiding addressing certain issues and problems in her life. It's a very interesting narrative progression, since initially the film has some winks and nudges to the dark humor of Sam Mendes' "American Beauty", but then it shifts into something definitely more heartfelt and even more dramatic. This journey is one worth going through with Sigourney Weaver, who hasn't had a part this dynamic in years, and she has a great partner in Kevin Kline, whom she shares great chemistry with (they made a great couple in Ivan Reitman's "Dave", and also the illicit adulterers in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm"). Sadly the supporting characters are rather thinly characterized and developed, including Morena Baccarin's Rebecca, Rob Delaney's Peter, and Kathryn Erbe's Wendy, all characters who could have benefited from a bit more attention. The production team on the film is solid, with highlights going to Andrei Bowden Schwartz's cinematography, Theodore Shapiro's score, and Carl Sprague's production design. It's a nicely crafted film with some fantastic performances worth watching.
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