The Good House

The Good House can't decide if it wants to be dramatic or cute about a very serious subject matter.  The movie (based on an acclaimed novel by Ann Leary) is about alcoholism, and the denial that most alcoholics have that they have a problem, and there are a lot of truths within the film about this.  But then, the movie will veer into comic fantasy, and have its lead star Sigourney Weaver break the fourth wall and give comical asides to an invisible audience like an AARP Ferris Bueller.  

Weaver does still give a natural performance here as Hildy Good, a hard-nosed realtor in a New England coastal town.  She gives the outward appearance of success with fine clothes, the Land Rover, and the kind of cocky confidence that can only come from knowing that she is the best at what she does.  However, it's getting harder for her to hide a string of disappointments in her life.  She's losing clients to a rival (Kathryn Erbe), her bills are piling up, and she has to financially support one of her adult daughter's dreams of going to New York to be an artist.  She also has to constantly put up a ruse to everyone that she is a recovering alcoholic, when in reality, she's cracking open cases of wine that she keeps hidden in her home at the end of every work day.

In one of the many moments throughout the film when Hildy becomes the only character in the movie to acknowledge and talk directly to the camera, she tells us "Wine is not really drinking".  It's the kind of excuse that is common to people who don't want to admit to a problem, right up there with "I can stop whenever I want".  We witness a flashback at one point in the film where her family staged an intervention, wanting her to get help, and even there, she couldn't help but joke about needing a drink to handle it.  Like I said, there are a lot of truths about the topic throughout, and Weaver's presence alone in the film lifts the material.  The problem is that directors and co-writers Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky can't pick a proper tone, and keep on veering into overly cute comedic elements.  

With its cute seaside town setting, colorful supporting characters, and Weaver constantly cracking wise with the audience, The Good House develops a light tone that really doesn't work with the darker elements that are eventually revealed.  The movie is so desperate to keep a light and upbeat tone, it even skims over certain elements, such as both of her daughters talking about what a terrible mother Hildy was when they were growing up, yet we never get to see it in flashbacks or even hear about it.  The movie keeps on touching on interesting dramatic material, such as how Hildy's husband left her for a man, but it's afraid that if it really dives deep into this subject matter, it will ruin the light and tranquil mood that it wants to create.  

Instead of really diving into Hildy and the issues that plague her, the movie wants to focus on her relationship with Frank (Kevin Kline), a local handyman who has a history with her, and still might hold feelings for her.  As always, Kline is excellent in the role, and brings a soft, comic likability, but that's all there is to Frank.  He's essentially a Saint, and we don't learn anything about him other than he's a nice guy who truly cares for Hildy and worries about her.  By having the film focus on cute humor and romance, it makes the hard shift it takes toward dramatic and tragic consequences in the Third Act all the more jarring.  The movie has not earned what happens near the end to some of the people in Hildy's life, because it hasn't taken itself seriously or dived into its own issues, then it suddenly wants to without warning.

I never knew quite how I was supposed to react to The Good House.  There are moments where I smiled, and I always enjoyed the performances, but there are also moments that are dark and depressing, and don't match the overall tone of the film.  This is a movie that can't decide if it wants to be lighthearted about alcoholics, or facing hard truths.  It tries for both approaches, and because of that, it never engages, despite the two incredibly engaging leads at the center of it.

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