The Good Girl Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)August 19th, 2002
THE GOOD GIRL
-------------
Justine (Jennifer Anniston) is bored with her 7 year marriage to pothead housepainter Phil (John C. Reilly, "The Perfect Storm") and her numbing job behind the cosmetics counter at the Retail Rodeo in a small Texas town. When she spies the soulful eyes of new cashier Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal, "Lovely & Amazing"), she'll begin to wonder down a path that will make her feel like anything but "The Good Girl."
Writer/costar Mike White reteams with his "Chuck & Buck" director Miguel Arteta ("Star Maps") for another of his uniquely comic/sinister explorations of the human psyche. While "The Good Girl" travels an expected route, it takes a few jarringly unexpected side trips along the way.
Justine convinces herself she's striking up a friendship with the interesting,
8 year younger, troubled Holden based on their shared hatred of the world, but clearly there's an attraction - one that blinds her to the obvious trouble this man-child will bring. Holden's passion offers her the excitement
that's missing from her life and Justine spirals into a vortex of lies, dishonor, blackmail and tragedy before she finds a kind of salvation.
White's clever screenplay is surprisingly funny and packed with innuendo. His heroine's name recalls de Sade's 'Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue' while her husband's, Phil Last, begs to have her final 'ine' added. He places us in Justine's point of view (Anniston's philosophical narration is well utilized), yet breaks through it with supporting characters' observations. Justine thinks no one knows about her affair, yet when she offers Holden, presumably having sprained his ankle, a ride home, coworker Gwen (Deborah Rush, "You've Got Mail") advises 'You should put some cold water
on it so it doesn't swell up and inflame.'
Holden's immaturity is underlined by his choice of meeting place (the Chuck E. Cheese). The Retail Rodeo's Cheryl (Zooey Deschanel, "Almost Famous") deadpans hilarious product 'endorsements' over the store loudspeaker, while store manager Jack Field (John Carroll Lynch, "Fargo") uses it to memorialize employees with tastelessly appropriate song selections. Phil and his best friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") imagine wacky paint inventions from within a haze of marijuana smoke that will transport their lifestyle. Everyone is looking to escape and only White's Corny, the Retail Rodeo's security guard, offers an outlet through his bible study class.
Arteta directs one of the best ensemble casts of the year, with Anniston's natural delivery grounding the film. Gyllenhaal walks a fine line, keeping his pathetic, desperate loser from becoming unsympathetic. Reliable Reilly is perfectly cast as the decent guy who loves his wife and questions little. Blake Nelson draws a complex portrait of Bubba, a goofy lowlife whose gradually revealed motivations render him a creepy obsessive. Deschanel, Rush, Lynch and White all work to define the absurdity of the Retail Rodeo workplace. John Doe ("Brokedown Palace") and Roxanne Hart's ("Once Around") almost dialogue-free representations of Holden/Tom's parents provide background for his character.
Daniel Bradford's ("Bounce") production design and Enrique Chediak's ("Boiler Room") cinematography work together to visualize a dusty, remote place of strip malls, parking lots and small houses.
"The Good Girl's" finale finds Justine, now living with the results of her transgressions, more content with the status quo. The filmmakers have taken us on a perverse odyssey to conclude that misery loves company.
B
For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
