The Good Girl (2002)
I have seen lots of movies; "Requiem for a Dream,"
for example, which other people find depressing. I always
found movies like that to be challenging, insightful,
unique and artistically inclined. "The Good Girl" is
the first movie in a long time that simply just depressed
the fuck out of me. And with little to recommend it
otherwise. It's tagline should read: If you want to
feel blue - We've got a film for you.
The acting here is almost laughable. Watching Jennifer
Aniston of TV's "Friends" (a show I like - so there)
and hottie young actor Jake Gyllenhaal attempt Texan
accents is almost get-wrenching. They fail miserably.
And the script. God, it's awful and mean-spirited
and full of bile. Mike White, the caustic, infant(ile)
terrible, wunderkid behind "Chuck and Buck," is the
person to blame here. He creates a world that speeds
right past American suburban ennui into the void of
ridiculous nothingness. His story has no meaning, his
characters have no redeeming qualities. This film holds
up suburban, white Southerners to the light and finds
them nothing but ridiculous buffoons. The contempt here
is splayed across the scene like the belly of a slaughtered
animal being opened up. It's revolting. There is not
one human thing in "The Good Girl." Not one.
Aniston and Gyllenhaal and John C. Reily and Tim
Blake Nelson and White and provide some of the worst
stereotypical characters one can imagine here. It can
be expected from White. It can be forgiven, perhaps,
from Aniston and Gyllenhaal. But we expect more from
Reily and Nelson. They should know better. Shame on
them. Anyway, the acting here is mainly of the looking
of into the distance and attempting to appear "wan"
variety. No one truly acts, for heaven sakes. They simply
glob onto the screen like so much cheap cosmetics. These
aren't characters. They are desperate actors sighing.
Director Miguel Arteta is way out of line. His
film is paced wrong, lighted wrong, and shows nothing
of the lives of the characters that isn't caricature
or TV-sitcom-esque. This film is played out as a comedy
(we are invited to laugh at the sincerity of the characters).
It's vulgar and, again, mean-spirited. I have not seen
such disrespect and outright hatred of characters since
Neil LaBute's dismal "Nurse Betty."
And Arteta's choice in music is lame as well. His
score, by four different composers no less, is nothing
short of "American Beauty" wannabee filler material.
And the final use of music over the end credits is as
sloppy and picayune as imaginable.
But, really, it is mostly White who is to blame.
Arteta would be wise to move along and try to find someone
worthy of having his work filmed. White really scares
me. He is an unstable individual. He should seek professional
help immediately. His vile contempt for humanity surpasses
misanthropy and borders on criminal insanity.
"The Good Girl" is one of the most disturbing pieces
of cinema to come out in 2002. But not in a good way.
Not at all.
Note:
Also with Zooey Deschanel, Deborah Rush, John Carroll
Lynch, and John Doe (of X fame in a non-speaking role).
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Card
Script:
F
Acting: F
Cinematography\Lighting: F
Special Effects\Make Up: F
Music: F
Final
Grade: F
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