Film protagonists struggling with alcoholism dates back to the early days of cinema. While treatments, support groups, and the drinking age may have changed over the past century, the difficulty of needing that drink has not. It's interesting to see how films choose to portray such a common subject. The Good House, premiering at Tribeca ahead of a theatrical release this fall, definitely opens with a lighthearted approach.
Sigourney Weaver plays Hildy, a small-town New England realtor who spends as much time directly addressing the camera as she does trying to sell her clients on homes...
Her business is struggling as a result of her recent stint in rehab, and, though her daughters and ex-husband believe that she's quit drinking, she spends each night consuming plenty of wine, seeing it as a way to control her habit without anyone being affected. The presence of a new friend (Morena Baccarin) and a rekindled relationship with a neighbor (Kevin Kline) give Hildy something to cling to as her carefully-curated life begins to crumble.
Weaver brings a distinct energy to Hildy from ther first moment on screen. She was the perfection choice for the role yet this adaptation of Ann Leary's book by screenwriter Thomas Bezucha (Big Eden, Let Him Go) and the co-directors Maya Forbes (Infinitely Polar Bear) and Wallace Wolodarsky (Seeing Other People) lets her down, jumping around tonally with little consistency. It also features some questionable morality amongst the characters. Still the way Hildy deals with her addiction, masking her vices and convincing herself she can manage it, rings true.
It's nice to see Weaver in a role that deserves her so long after Aliens and other career highlights. She shows a true desire to tap into this character. Unfortunately Kline, as her co-star, doesn't put in similar effort, contributing little to the film. Though this is primarily Hildy's story, that puts the entire weight of the film's success on Weaver. She does her best sprinkling entertaining and powerful moments throughout. Overall, though, The Good House just doesn't hit all of its marks, falling short of the film it could have been. B-
The Good House is screening in the Spotlight Narrative section at the 2022 Tribeca Festival.