A not-so-critical perspective on The Good Girl
This is another one that would hold up under a more critical light; it was widely regarded as Jen’s first major stab at a dramatic role, and she pulled it off brilliantly. The Good Girl, released in August 2002, starred Jen as Justine Last, a married Texas woman who feels that she has missed every opportunity for adventure in her life. She can’t seem to get pregnant by her husband Phil (John C. Reilly), a housepainter with an affinity for marijuana, and her daily existence revolves around her dead-end job at Retail Rodeo. Enter Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), a wannabe writer who has begun work as a cashier. Justine befriends this intriguing young man, and they begin a furtive affair. Justine’s desire to maintain her status as a “good girl” leads her to dig herself even deeper under all of her lies and secrets. This film, directed by the brilliant Miguel Arteta, features a remarkable cast that includes Mike White (who also wrote the screenplay), Zooey Deschanel, Tim Blake Nelson, John Carroll Lynch, and Deborah Rush. This is by far one of my top film recommendations of all time.
The Good Girl, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Miguel Arteta, drama, dark comedy, affair, Texas
March 20th, 2007 at 11:39 am
i sooooo love this movie!!!
December 12th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
[...] in 2001, Jen filmed The Good Girl with Jake Gyllenhaal, who at the time was a relative newcomer (his credits at the time included [...]