Jennifer Aniston does a surprisingly good job at portraying Justine, the fed-up Retail Rodeo employee who begins an elicit affair with Holden, a co-worker 8 years her junior. I find it funny that one of the reviewers thought of this movie as a "comedy". The dialogue is humorous at times, but I think this story has a lot more to it than meets the eye.Justine sees her life as a prison, as does Holden. He swings open the door of curiosity in her life that makes her wonder if there's more for her in the world. Yet, the "good girl" mentality she holds throughout the movie obligates her to deny her feelings for Holden and stick with her pot-smoking, impotent husband. As you watch, you at first root for Holden and Justine. You want them to escape their small town and find out what life holds for them. Then you start feeling like that isn't right either; Holden is, after all, only 22...and a depressed, rather mentally disturbed 22 at that. Justine sees in him a possibility, but still a bleak possibility. This leads to a battle of motivations: do you stick with the life you are familiar with and is socially acceptable, even if you're depressed out of your mind, or do you escape into a life more exciting that could very well be as bad or even worse? This is what makes me not know what to think. Justine obviously has personal issues she needs to work out, but she sees her answers in other people and not in herself. This makes her a sympathetic character, but you hate her all at the same time. The story is very well-conceived, and the actors do a marvelous job portraying Justine's equally-dysfunctional co-workers, family, and friends. The deleted scenes on the DVD are funny, and some would have been helpful to explain some of the progression in the story. However, the movie is mysteriously captivating on its own, and I think Aniston should be recognized for this gross departure from her flaky counterpart on "Friends". The Good Girl
This is an odd movie to write a review for. However, since most people reading this are looking for an answer to the question, "Should I watch this or not?" I'll give you a quick answer: Yes. It's worth every penny- for a rental, at least."The Good Girl" is like no movie I've ever seen. That's not a compliment, and it's not a criticism, it's just an observation. I don't want to pigeonhole it into any one genre. The movie has plenty of very funny moments, but it's not a comedy. It's also rather depressing (at first) but it's not "black." It's dramatic, but can't really be classified as a typical drama (although that's the section it's in at the video store). In short, it's just a bunch of stuff that happens.THE GOOD:There are a lot of very funny moments that will have you laughing out loud- sometimes at moments that you're not sure you should be laughing. The cast performs every character in "The Good Girl" superbly, from Jennifer Aniston's ramshackle Justine to Jake Gyllenhaal's sullen Holden to Justine's slovenly but affable husband Phil (played by John C. Reilly). Of course, I must mention Zooey Deschanel as cynical cashier Cheryl, one of the funniest and all-around best supporting acting performances I've ever seen. And yes, I am now officially a fan of Jennifer Aniston, even though I'm decidedly a non-fan of "Friends" (I tried watching it after seeing "The Good Girl," but couldn't get into it).THE BAD:Although the acting is great, it sometimes seems like they're acting in different movies. Holden's movie is a bleak tragedy, Justine's is a finding-yourself drama, and Phil's is "Half Baked" (cheap joke, I know). Justine is a hard character to empathize with, because you come to dislike Justine's paramour Holden more than her husband.However, you do want Justine to find happiness. But you know it's going to be hard for her to do so with any of the people in the movie. She's not a heroine, she's not a villain; she's just a human. She screwed up and she knows it. It'll help to keep in mind while watching this movie that all it's characters should not be looked at as either protagonists or antagonists, they should be looked at as humans.The movie left me a little depressed after watching it, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it. It's a good cautionary tale. One of the things that tells me if a movie is good or not is how much it sticks with me after I see it. I rented this, watched it twice, and cannot get it out of my head. I'm planning to buy it."The Good Girl" is good, and it's worth a rental.
(Assuming that the reader has read the synopsis...)
Wow, Jennifer Aniston actually CAN act and Jake Gyllenhaal was very good, (pay attention to the little things he adds to the story and his character). I personally wouldn't have even watched this movie in the first place if it wasn't for the fact that Jake Gyllenhaal is one of my favorite actors, but I am glad I did. The story really isn't that complex or abnormal, just one of one woman's unsatisfaction with her life, and how she realizes that she has the power to make life what she wants it to be. She thinks she has found someone in Holden who, unlike her stoner husband, can really understand her. The end is the unique part, you can make of it whatever you choose. You can look at it as dark, a comedy, or light with its dark parts. This is a film that will leave a lasting impression on you, and make you take a step back and look at your own life. Basically, the story isn't complex, but the insight to the deepest of human emotions and tendencies make this a worth-while film.
I first saw this film because Jake Gylenhaal was becoming more and more popular and i wanted to see all of his films. I was not expecting a whole lot out of this film but i was shocked when i ended up loving it! Hardly anyone hs even heard of this film because it was a more independant film which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, but it deserves recognition. I would recommend that anyone who enjoys dark and insightful films to see this. It is a wonderful film with great performances including Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reiley, and Tim Blake Nelson. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. - Catcher In The Rye - Male Frontal Nudity - Jennifer Aniston - Black Comedy'
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