THE GOOD GIRL - Bitesize Review # 4

The Good Girl ***½
USA/Germany/Netherlands: Miguel Arteta, 2002.
Format: Original Theatrical Release

Note: My bitesize review was originally published by the Kent Messenger Newspaper Group and refers to the theatrical run of the film.

Tired of her reputation as the pretty one from U.S. sitcom Friends, Jennifer Aniston plays depressed and ordinary Justine Land in this ‘indie’ comedy drama.

Working as a discount store cashier in small-town Texas, Justine idles away her time wondering where her hopes and dreams went. Inspiration is lacking at home too with simpleton husband Phil (John C. Reilly), spending every night stoned on the couch in the company of best pal Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson).

Dissatisfied with her life, Justine finds herself drawn into a passionate affair with Jake Gyllenhaal’s (Donnie Darko) intense and angst-ridden outsider, Holden Worther. In an affectionate nod toward Gustav Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Justine is soon confronted with the harsh reality her reckless actions bring to pass. Although her attempt to reclaim some vitality of her life may be borne from a deep sense of personal isolation, the chain of events that ensue from her actions promise serious ramifications for everyone in her life.

Jennifer Aniston’s affected accent is hard to overlook initially, as we struggle to accept the actress as anything other than Rachel from Friends. However, to her credit only the harshest critic could fail to be convinced by her impressive display.

Aniston squeezes out every nuance from Justine’s feelings of imprisonment, the men around her offer nothing but demands, to fine-tune a wonderfully emotional and yet subtle performance. I for one earnestly hope she is able to work on other scripts in the future that allow her to further subvert her dominant star image.

The rest of the ensemble cast are also given the chance to shine thanks to a strong script from Mike White and the unobtrusive direction of Miguel Arteta. Most notable in this regard is newcomer Zooey Deschanel, who provides some great humorous moments as Justine’s misbehaving work colleague Cheryl.

Possibly a little dull for some compared to the monster mainstream releases currently showing, The Good Girl doesn’t have any grandiose pretensions. It is instead a well-observed, earnest reflection of life that is both dark and funny.