The Good House movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Good House

This dramedy movie was released in theaters on September 30, 2022, and is now available to stream online.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 44 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B-

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 4^th 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.