The Good House (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: LionsGate
Release Date: November 22, 2022
 Rating: R
 Film:  4.5/5
 
 Plot
 Sigourney Weaver delivers a stellar performance as Hildy Good, a realtor in an idyllic New England town, whose wickedly funny tongue and seeming success mask her life’s one dark truth: She enjoys her wine a bit too much. But Hildy’s good at keeping it together – until, that is, a rekindled romance with high school flame Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline) sets in motion a chain of events that forces a decades-in-the-making confrontation with Hildy’s buried past. Based on the best-selling novel, The Good House is a multifaceted portrait of a proud, resilient woman who wouldn’t think of asking for help…and whose life won’t change until she does.  
 
My Thoughts
As of fan of both Kline and Weaver’s work, this was something I had to request. When it showed up, my wife read the synopsis and didn’t want to watch it given her upbringing. Her father is an alcoholic, and she has horrible memories from her childhood because of this, so I waited until she was in the proper mood to view it. Thankfully we did, because it ended up being an excellent movie. Weaver breaks the 4^th wall and lets you into the alcoholic’s rationalization explaining away her behavior on-screen. If you’ve ever been around anyone with an addiction, you’ve seen this behavior first-hand, and this film does a phenomenal job of letting you inside their mind.
 
The presentation is about what you’d expect from a drama, but there are elements that really stand out. While the city portrayed in the film, Wendover, MA, is fictional, the producers did a great job in finding a stand-in that mimics the Massachusetts’s coastline by filming up in Nova Scotia. The visuals are outstanding are the highlight of the cinematography. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is mostly front heavy, and the dialog is firmly rooted in the center speaker. The musical soundtrack is excellent and does a great job of opening up the soundstage. In fact, my wife and I watched the credits just to listen to the song that complemented them.
 
Video 4.5/5 (AVC)
 Audio 4.5/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
 Special Features:

• Audio Commentary
• Photo Gallery
• Digital Copy

 
 

 Conclusion
 This film is a very welcome change of pace. It’s a dramatic movie with a ton of heart and tackles a very serious subject matter. It is adapted from Ann Leary’s book and includes humor, drama, and a mysterious twist that you don’t expect. In fact, this is one of the better movies I’ve watched in 2022 and it gets my highest recommendation.
 

 Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
JL Audio F110 (X2 co-located and bridged as one sub)
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[SRW1000]

This sounds like a really good film, and I've added it to my queue.  Certainly different from what we're typically getting these days and a welcome change of pace.

Normally I'd have overlooked it, but thanks for the tip on this one.

Scott

[David Vaughn]

This sounds like a really good film, and I've added it to my queue.  Certainly different from what we're typically getting these days and a welcome change of pace.

Normally I'd have overlooked it, but thanks for the tip on this one.

Scott

Let me know what you think once you see it. 

[SRW1000]

We finally got this movie from Netflix and watched it tonight.

The story didn't work quite as well for us, and I thought parts of the ending were a little too predictable.

Still, Weaver's performance was really a standout (how did she get overlooked for an Oscar this year?).  I know you mentioned the fourth wall breaking in your review, but I had forgotten all about it, so it caught me off guard initially.  By the end of the movie, I was quite used to it and appreciated the additional insight.  I didn't even recognize Kline during his first appearance, as he really leaned into the role. 

The film was beautifully shot, and the Fall season was convincingly portrayed.  Kinda makes you want to step right through the screen and take a leisurely stroll in that seaside town and top it off with one of those overly priced coffees.

I also agree on the musical selection, and the tracks they fit were both appropriate and had a lively presence.  I'm a sucker for any Donovan song, and love hearing his music in movies like this.  It really captures the spirit of a different time, which was well-representative of the main character's ages and the era they grew up in.

This ended up being a nice balance to the movies we normally watch, and we're glad to have seen it.

Scott

[David Vaughn]

We finally got this movie from Netflix and watched it tonight.

The story didn't work quite as well for us, and I thought parts of the ending were a little too predictable.

Still, Weaver's performance was really a standout (how did she get overlooked for an Oscar this year?).  I know you mentioned the fourth wall breaking in your review, but I had forgotten all about it, so it caught me off guard initially.  By the end of the movie, I was quite used to it and appreciated the additional insight.  I didn't even recognize Kline during his first appearance, as he really leaned into the role. 

The film was beautifully shot, and the Fall season was convincingly portrayed.  Kinda makes you want to step right through the screen and take a leisurely stroll in that seaside town and top it off with one of those overly priced coffees.

I also agree on the musical selection, and the tracks they fit were both appropriate and had a lively presence.  I'm a sucker for any Donovan song, and love hearing his music in movies like this.  It really captures the spirit of a different time, which was well-representative of the main character's ages and the era they grew up in.

This ended up being a nice balance to the movies we normally watch, and we're glad to have seen it.

Scott

Thanks for chiming in Scott. I agree with your thoughts...I was in the perfect mood to watch the movie, which probably helped a lot. 

[Barry]

Are you sure that you saw it on Netflix? I went to their site and I can’t find it 

[SRW1000]

Are you sure that you saw it on Netflix? I went to their site and I can’t find it

Sorry, disc rental.  (Yeah, some of us still do that.)