THE GOOD GIRL
US, 2002, 93 minutes. Colour.
Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Deborah Rush, Mike White, John Carroll Lynch, Zooey Deschanel, Tim Blake Nelson.
Directed by Miguel Arteta.
Jennifer Aniston has made her name in the television series Friends. She appeared in a number of films, some simply variations on her Friends persona: Object of My Affection, Picture Perfect, Office Space.
With The Good Girl, she ventures into more serious territory. She effectively plays a Texas woman working at the checkout at a supermarket. She is in a loveless marriage with a painter who recreates with drugs, takes her for granted, bullies her - yet loves her. He spends a lot of his time with his working mate. The husband is played by John C. Reilly (Boogie Nights, Chicago) and the mate by Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother Where Art thou and director of Grey Zone and O). Into her life comes a tormented young man who also works in the supermarket, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (in a role akin to that in Lovely and Amazing). She is attracted to him, seeks his company, visits his home. They then begin an affair. He confides his hopes to her, his stories, principally about himself.
As time moves on, the relationship becomes more intense, she feels that while she is a good girl, she is betraying her vows and is tormented by this. Her best friend at the supermarket has a stroke and she takes her to hospital, but being with her boyfriend, misses her death. Her husband's mate sees the couple at a motel. This builds up to a climax, especially some emotional blackmail by the friend. When the husband discovers the affair, especially because she is pregnant, there is a traumatic resolution - and some further deception for the sake of the husband. The young man kills himself, but he has written a story about her.
The film was written by Mike White, writer of Chuck and Buck and actor in that film. Here he portrays the earnest religious young man at the supermarket whom the husband blames for the affair. The film was directed by Miguel Arteta who directed Chuck and Buck. Small scale, well acted, an interesting portrait of ordinary people in difficult situations.
1. The small town story? Texas? Characters and situations?
2. The title, Justine as a good girl – her behaviour, bad behaviour? Good person despite her flaws?
3. The town, the supermarket, the interiors and exteriors, ordinary houses, the motel, homes and streets? Realism? Musical score – and the songs to commemorate those who died?
4. Mike White, his writing career and performances? Presenting the offbeat and the ordinary?
5. Justine and her voice-over comments, of the events, on Holden, her self-evaluation?
6. Justine and her situation, her age, the seven-year marriage, going to work, ordinary, dull? Her dislike of her job? Interactions with her boss? Cheryl, talking, the makeup counter? Gwen, hardworking and friendly? Her curiosity about Holden? At home, not having any children, Phil and Bubba and their being stoned, watching TV, chatting, loving her husband but feeling trapped, in the bedroom? Her prospects for life?
7. Phil, painting houses, his marriage, taking Justine for granted yet appreciating her, a good man, friendly with Bubba, the painting jobs, chatting, the issue of infertility, going to the test, Justine helping him? The phone call, his disbelief, the confrontation with Justine, being hurt? His taking the drugs – and his comment about the need to escape sometimes (and her response)? The reconciliation, the deceit about the baby, the love for the baby?
8. Holden, his taking his name from The Catcher in the Rye, at work, age twenty-two, his emotional problems, his dull parents sitting and watching television without comment, Justine’s visit to them? Talking to Justine, at the table, in the storeroom, the relationship? Going to the motel? His passion, writing the stories, planning to go away, the rendezvous with Justine, his hopes, robbing the store, phoning Justine, eating the blackberries? Poisoned or not? His disappointment, his killing himself? The news on the television? The aftermath?
9. Bubba, Phil’s buddy, his sexual preoccupations, blackmailing Justine after seeing her at the motel, their secret, saying that it saved him? The situation for Justine? His presence and the girlfriend with the news of the pregnancy? Phil’s infertility? His saving the day for Justine? The meal scenes?
10. At the store, the manager and his work, Cheryl and her life, the gaudy makeup, the customers and their response? Gwen, her work, advice, eating the blackberries, her collapse, Justine taking her to the hospital, not able to stay? Justine going to visit her – Corny telling her about her death? Jack Field playing the song in memory of Gwen?
11. Corny, his security work, religious background, invitations to the meetings, Justine and Phil going, leaving, the interrogations, Phil presuming that he was responsible for the pregnancy, bashing him?
12. Justine and her life, changes, possibilities? Leaving with Holden, packing? Reading the story? Her pregnancy, the blackberries for Holden? Not leaving? Telling Jack Field where Holden was? The arrest, Holden’s death? Letting Phil believe that Corny was the father? The final happiness with the baby?
13. Ordinary people and encounters?
