by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Alcohol can be a horrible drug, can’t it? I have seen my fair share of people get bit by alcoholism. Some of their lives were permanently affected. Others are so entwined with their life and behavior that I don’t think they know anything different. You can be quite the talented professional, like a realtor, but when those destructive behaviors get in the way, things might not end nicely for you. You might have a family, but they can slip through your fingers when the alcohol gets in the way. This is the story that The Good House tells.
What is the story wrapped in the themes and ideas of overcoming alcoholism? This is based on a novel, and I wonder if said novel offers up such a simplistic version of events. The film unfortunately accomplishes that. At the core of the story, you have Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver). She is a once-prominent realtor in her small town. She has the perfect family with a husband and two daughters. But the alcohol got in the way of all of that. The narrative is presented in a messy fashion with flashbacks coming at random times, causing issues with keeping the timeline straight. We see a family and friends intervention, but we don’t really feel the weight, as that was in the past, and so was the behavior. Hildy does begin to fall back into her alcoholic ways, and the rest of the story is a spiral until she needs to turn things around. Throw in a romance with an old flame and some missing people (oddly), and we have the film. This script does not do a great job in layering in those subplots.
What about the tone around such serious themes? The directing tandem of Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky struggles to keep the tone where it needs to be. These alcoholism and relationship issues come out of nowhere because the tone is so fun and lighthearted to start the film. We have fourth-wall breaking and quips being thrown around by Hildy. But then things hit hard, and the film does not feel prepared to handle this emotional weight. Is this a serious film? It shifts harshly in that direction in the second and third acts. But then it wraps up with the most “Hallmark” type ending imaginable. This film is so bipolar and awkward that it is hard to even process how you are supposed to feel.
Do these characters in this small-town story make it worthwhile? Hildy is so conceited and ignorant to all her own issues that it is so hard to care about her. Her former lover and maybe present lover Frank (Kevin Kline) is a few characteristics thrown together and elevated by an entertaining performance. The rest of the characters cannot escape being just one purpose and have no agency. Her daughters are there to guilt Hildy. Others are there to show the harm of her vices, but this is done so awkwardly and recklessly that it is almost offensive to the tone-deafness of some of them.
But what is the only consistently strong aspect of the film? The acting. Weaver is quite impressive. Her fourth-wall breaking lines are fun, and her drunken moments are shockingly poignant and effective. This is a great vehicle for her to show that she can still act with the best of them. Kline is such a delight. His accent is inconsistent, but he brings so much charisma that you can get past it. The rest of the cast do their work well (even if most are not given much to do). But a special shoutout to Rob Delaney, who is always a delight on screen.
Does The Good House deliver an emotional and engaging experience? The acting is certainly worth watching, especially between the two big names of Weaver and Kline. The themes and ideas are worth exploring, as they are vices that have affected everyone’s lives in some way. But the messy script and poorly handled tone make this film a mess instead of a compelling drama.
Score: 4/10
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