Attractive thirtysomething Jennifer Aniston (as Justine Last) works in her Texas town's "Retail Rodeo" department store. Lumpy couch potato husband John C. Reilly (as Phil Last) is a house painter, pot smoker, and beer guzzler. Ms. Aniston is bored with her boring life. People don't "get her". That changes when handsome twentysomething Jake Gyllenhaal (as Tom "Holden" Worther) begins working at the "Retail Rodeo". Hunky Mr. Gyllenhaal dresses down, and shoots Aniston those moody, loner looks. He's reading "Catcher in the Rye", after dropping out of college (normally, you read "Catcher in the Rye" before college). Aniston and Gyllenhaal begin an affair, which leads to disastrous results...
Miguel Arteta's direction, and Aniston's focused performance, keep Mike White's story brisk. Aniston's life is definitely NOT boring, during the film's running time. Writer White also plays one of Aniston's co-workers at the "Retail Rodeo" - a dead-on, amazing characterization, as the "Bible study guy" security guard. The entire supporting cast is terrific. Keep your ears pricked for Zooey Deschanel (as Cheryl)'s pointed lines. Although, "The Good Girl" works, as a "comedy-drama", you may not care for where the story leads the characters...
The easiest alteration (without being too specific) would have been for Aniston to be shown yearning for a baby in some early scenes; this would give the film an "obvious" overall meaning, while retaining subtleties. I would have had Gyllenhaal and White suffer different consequences than those shown on screen; what happens to Deborah Rush (as Gwen Jackson) was enough, emotionally. The "Holden" conclusion could have been a fantasy. The "Corny" attack, coupled with a (forgivable) smack in the face (by "Phil"), portends a violent future for Aniston. So, the dramatic level of the story has "overkill".
******* The Good Girl (2002) Miguel Arteta ~ Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly
Miguel Arteta's direction, and Aniston's focused performance, keep Mike White's story brisk. Aniston's life is definitely NOT boring, during the film's running time. Writer White also plays one of Aniston's co-workers at the "Retail Rodeo" - a dead-on, amazing characterization, as the "Bible study guy" security guard. The entire supporting cast is terrific. Keep your ears pricked for Zooey Deschanel (as Cheryl)'s pointed lines. Although, "The Good Girl" works, as a "comedy-drama", you may not care for where the story leads the characters...
The easiest alteration (without being too specific) would have been for Aniston to be shown yearning for a baby in some early scenes; this would give the film an "obvious" overall meaning, while retaining subtleties. I would have had Gyllenhaal and White suffer different consequences than those shown on screen; what happens to Deborah Rush (as Gwen Jackson) was enough, emotionally. The "Holden" conclusion could have been a fantasy. The "Corny" attack, coupled with a (forgivable) smack in the face (by "Phil"), portends a violent future for Aniston. So, the dramatic level of the story has "overkill".
******* The Good Girl (2002) Miguel Arteta ~ Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly