SummaryHildy Good (Sigourney Weaver) is a wry New England realtor and descendant of the Salem witches, who loves her wine and her secrets. Her compartmentalized life begins to unravel as she rekindles a romance with her old high-school flame, Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline), and becomes dangerously entwined in one person’s reckless behavior. Ignit...
SummaryHildy Good (Sigourney Weaver) is a wry New England realtor and descendant of the Salem witches, who loves her wine and her secrets. Her compartmentalized life begins to unravel as she rekindles a romance with her old high-school flame, Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline), and becomes dangerously entwined in one person’s reckless behavior. Ignit...
It’s all too rare that audiences are treated to a big-screen examination of a woman’s inner turmoil, let alone a woman in the grandmotherly phase of her life; this one pops with both acrid wit and meaningful drama.
The fun of Sigourney Weaver in directors Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes’ feature, The Good House, is watching a master actor create an everyday character so believable that she could literally walk into a room and pass as one of us. By the way, everything I said about Weaver equally applies to her co-star Kevin Kline as well.
There are big questions churning beneath the story, yet even Hildy’s personal turmoil feels somehow too neat. In the film’s sharp comic observations, though, and especially its two fine leads, something real and messy sparks to life.
So much works so well for so long in “The Good House” that it’s frustrating when the film casts its eye elsewhere and begins paying way too much attention to the town’s peripheral figures.
For all its more serious moments, The Good House actually feels a lot like comfort food. It could be due to the vivid community the filmmakers have built, or because of Weaver's multifaceted performance. It also could be because, at its core, The Good House is about inner growth and the value in appreciating loved ones.
The Good House has a lot of potential and features some attractive amenities, including dramatic conflict and a seasoned cast. But like a subpar property, it just doesn’t show well in a highly competitive market.
Like its heroine and namesake, The Good House is a drama that strives to sell itself as a sly and vaguely supernatural comedy for adults. And like Hildy, the film waits far too long to relinquish that happy-go-lucky idea of itself.
Was this movie ever a gut punch. Too bad it's a movie not many people will get to see. Hopefully it finds it's way on streaming by good word of mouth. Sigorney Weaver delivers a stellar performance that knocked me for a loop. The less you know going in, the better, but it's a movie for me that touched me and really hit me just a little too close to home. Stick with it. I'm glad I did.
IN A NUTSHELL:
Life for New England realtor Hildy Good begins to unravel when she hooks up with an old flame of hers from New York. The dramatic film is based on Ann Leary’s ‘The Good House.’
The touching movie was written and directed by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, with writing help from Thomas Bezucha. The story is based on the novel by Ann Leary.
THINGS I LIKED:
It’s wonderful seeing Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline together again. They also starred together in Dave in 1993, and The Ice Storm in 1997. She sings a duet with Kevin Kline. Now, that wasn’t a musical highlight of the movie, or any movie for that matter, but you can feel their chemistry and it felt like a real moment between friends.
Sigourney’s character breaks the 4th wall, which means she looks at the audience through the invisible screen and talks to us. I liked the sarcastic humor and interesting insights, although other reviewers thought it was an odd choice. Personally, I always like the intimate moments and unique perspective that technique gives to movies.
Sigourney Weaver’s character has a cute Papillon! I used to have a black and white one. They’re such cute dogs. She also has another dog, but I was all about the Papillon.
The filming was done in Nova Scotia. Beautiful cinematography by Andrei Bowden Schwartz.
I loved the last breath we hear in the movie. It felt like “I’m home” and “I can do this” and “I’m ready to make a change” and “I’m ready for the new version of myself” all in one sigh. Perfect.
All of the characters look and feel very real, like people you would know, not just actors playing a part.
Whether it’s alcohol or any other temptation, this movie shares an important message about getting help. Breaking an addictive hold on your soul can rarely be done alone.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
I wish we could have seen more of the final meltdown to really see and feel what it’s like for the character to hit rock bottom.
There’s an interesting witch element in the story. I couldn’t decide if it added a simple layer to the story or was just a hokey gimmick. What did YOU think if you watched the movie?
Some viewers will be bored, waiting for something “to happen.”
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
An unmarried couple has intimate relations. We see them in bed with some skin and movement, mostly covered by sheets.
We see a naked woman in a bathtub. We only see the top of her back.
Soooo much alcohol and drunken behavior.
Production Company
Amblin Partners,
Tribeca Productions,
FilmNation Entertainment,
Dreamworks Pictures,
Faliro House Productions,
Participant,
Reliance Entertainment