The Good Girl (2002)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Miguel Arteta

Writer (WGA):

Mike White (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 2002 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's her last best chance... is she going to take it?

Plot:

A discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Extramarital Affair | Catcher In The Rye | Cuckold | Disturbing

Awards:

5 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Aniston	...	Justine Last
Deborah Rush	...	Gwen Jackson
Mike White	...	Corny
John Carroll Lynch	...	Jack Field, Your Store Manager
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Holden Worther
Zooey Deschanel	...	Cheryl
John C. Reilly	...	Phil Last
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Bubba
Jacquie Barnbrook	...	Heavy Set Woman
Annie O'Donnell	...	Haggard Woman
John Doe	...	Mr. Worther
Roxanne Hart	...	Mrs. Worther
Jon Shere	...	Lester (as Jonathan Shere)
Alice Amter	...	Big Haired Woman
Jean Rhodes	...	Old Woman

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, some language and drug content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Ireland:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38723)

Filming Locations:

Glen Capri Motel - 6700 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Flan de Coco Films

Trivia:

To make Jennifer Aniston look more worn down, Miguel Arteta made her wear wrist weights for several weeks prior to filming, she also wore them during some of the scenes.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In Bubba's bedroom, the Texas Flag is upside down.

Quotes:

Cheryl: Attention, shoppers. There's a Retail Rodeo special on aisle 3. Liquid Drain Cleaner, 2 12-ounce cans for $5.00. Liquid Drain Cleaner has churning power and it will churn right through your pipes. Ladies, you need female plumbing. Shove something clean and new up your filthy pipes. That's Liquid Drain Cleaner on aisle 3. Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Retail Rodeo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Reba: The Good Girl (#3.19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Black Eyed Dog

Touching, Compelling, Perfectly Ordinary

This movie is great, in my opinion, because its so misunderstood. Its so simple! The dialogue is not heavy, but it is perfectly articulated and emotional, and delivered brilliantly by Jennifer Aniston, who really shines as Justine, a small town girl who wants to get away from the monotony of life. Jake Gyllenhaal's role as a Holden Caulfield wannabe is well pulled off. I particularly liked how depressingly un attractive his drunken dramas were. You could see so many emotions in Justine, trying to ignore what she didn't like about him, trying to find something to love about him. Though my all time favourite aspect of the movie is the painfully realistic awkward sex and kissing. With an extreme but none the less effective ending, I'd easily give this film a biased 9/10! A little slice of real life, for a change.