Reviews (175)

A comedy that leaves you in suspense!
Jennifer Aniston is the bright sunshine girl who really acted well in this flick. It's neither typical date movie nor a romantic comedy. It's really funny and keeps you in suspense. This is Aniston's best work at the movies! It's a great cast ensemble and is award-worthy. It's a different comedy and has one of the week's highest screen average, 14k. It's an emotional feature where you'd see Aniston in a completely different role and a completely different attitude that you'd see her with in "Friends"! The movie's worth a watch!

The movie revolves around Justine (Aniston) who plays a surly worker at Retail Rodeo. She's stressed out and sick of her pot-smoking husband. Soon she meets a fellow worker at Retail Rodeo who is in a worse place than she's in. They soon fall in love but can't seem to keep it a secret. Now she has lots of decisions to make!

The movie wasn't released on a lot of theatres but is quite good and worth checking out!

----Ahmed Mashhood

The Not So Good Girl
The Good Girl had gotten some positive buzz as it made its theatrical run last year, so I was bit curious to see what it was all about, and if actress Jennifer Aniston could pull off a largely dramatic role..Let's just say I was surprised.

Justine (Aniston) is unhappy with her life. She has a thankless husband, (John C. Reilly) and a boring job at the Retail Rodeo, at the cosmetics counter. She desperately wants a change. Enter co-worker Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal), an introspective younger man, who finds himself attracted to Justine. Eventually, they fall in love, and start having an affair with each other. Holden asks her to run away with her, after he decides to steal a large sum of cash, from the store's safe. Directed by Miguel Arteta, the film boasts good performances from the cast, particularly from Aniston, who tries very hard to make you forget the Rachel character she plays on Friends. As for Jake Gyllenhaal, his work is good too, but he seems to employ the same "loner" motif that he used for Donnie Darko for this role as well. Even though the acting in the movie was solid, to be sure, none of it really "wowed" me that much. Having said that, I think that the film's biggest flaw lies in the script. Written by Mike White, the story is very predictible, and the characters are, (for the most part) as well. I could see the film's biggest twists from a mile away. Considering all the aforementioned buzz, I guess I thought it might be a better film.

The DVD includes just a handfull of exrtas. The first of 2 commentary tracks with Arteta and White is pretty good The two men present the making of the film in an informative way. For her part though, Aniston's participation on the second track seemed very limited, which is a letdown, given that she plays the main character in the film. In fact, her comments are less about what it was like to play Justine, and more about her fellow actors instead-I was hoping that she would talk about the whole experience. There are 9 deleted scenes that were wisely left on the cutting room floor. As for the "don't blink or you'll miss it" alternate ending, it's so so brief, you may have to play it twice to "get it". Finally viewers get a 2 and half minute blooper reel (what?? No theatrical trailer??) that isn't all that funny. The DVD allows you to watch the film in either the widescreen or full screen. A disappointment all the way around.

intriguing start descends into formulaic
This movie starts out with an intriguing situation. Jennifer Aniston plays a depressed Retail Rodeo employee with a pig of a husband. She plays the role convincingly, making viewers feel the world of a small-town Texas woman.

When she meets a new employee, a disturbed but more intellectual young man, she thinks she's found an escape from her daily drudgery.

From this point on, events spiral downhill and the movie becomes disappointingly predictable. The element of surprise is lost and viewers are taken on a formulaic ride where predictable consequences come from foreseen actions.

It's not a bad movie to watch on those nights when you want something light, just don't expect surprises.

A Really Disturbing Film
I have read all the other reviews for this movie and I am truly very surprised with how many people enjoyed it. I tried, really, to like this movie, but it is one movie that I truly despise. The story line in itself is unoriginal and also stupid. A woman is having a really bad life, so she starts trying to fix it, no big deal, maybe even intersting. But then her way of "fixing" it is to be in an affair with a strange pyscotic younger man. Not exactly what I think would qualify as fixing. This movie did not hold my attention and to this day I am sorry for the time that I will never get back that was spent watching that movie.
On the plus side, the acting from Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal is very well done. That is the only plus side for the entire movie. Do yourself a favor and watch something you won't regret later, "Office Space" or "The Day After Tomorrow" if you're stuck on the actors, perhaps. Both of those movies are signicantly better.

Un-Rachel Jennifer: Dark, Unpredictable Comedy about Despair
Can Jennifer Aniston do anyting better than "Rachel" after the successful TV drama that went on very long (or too long)? "The Good Girl" is the answer. Yes, she can, and in a surprising way.

Justine (Aniston) is working at a mini-mart in Nowhereville, Texas, completely dissatisfied with the humdrum life with her pot-smoking husband (John C. Reiley), who just doesn't care anything about his life. Her work is boring, always in a drab uniform which makes eveything in her life quite hopeless.

But one day, she notices that a young boy working in the same shop is interested in her. She is attracted to this boy (Jake Gyllenhaal, "Donnie Darko") who has, however, a slightly troublesome tendency. He calls himself "Holden" because, yes, he identified himself with that anti-hero of "Catcher in the Rye," and like Holden, this boy perhaps thinks too much.

Now, Justine thinks: "Could this strange boy is the last and only help offered to her?" Can she escape from the dull reality of life? And if escape, how and where? It's the same case as Madame Bovary, whose name is briefly referred to in the film.

"The Good Girl," written by Mike White (who wrote alarmingly unique "Chuck and Buck"), follows the life of Justine with a wry humor. Written with skewed perspectives, the film is never predictable, giving us a few surprising moments and one very serious decision Justine has to make. It is effectively supported by original characters played by Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel, Deborah Rush, and Mike White himself as church-going guard.

Its dark humor is not for everybody's taste, and the undercurrent statement on life is often disturbing. But Jennifer Aniston's acting as Justine is strong (though you may still see something of Rachel in her.) The film, in its own quiet way, will make you grin, and then think ... think particularly about life as it is, not as it should be. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Touching , Heartbreaking story
To understand this film you should understand whats its like to be from a family like this. Themovie played out like a home movie for me. The first reviewer from Mexico, is typical in his narrow mindedness about how "chicanos" live. How do you clearly represent a culture? This young boy was not "abused" by his father, he was ABUSED by his father. THis happenes a lot, in Mexico and America. The use of Cantinflas was not to link the characters to their Mexican roots,it was used by the mentally ill Mother as her escape from her painful existence. I don't know how the first reviewer lives or if he ever visited LA,and i don't mean the tourist locations, the real Barrios with real Chicanos, but, some lives are aggresive and crude. Everything in this movie has substance. It is not sexy though. You care so much about Carlito, that it is stomach churning watching him be voilated. Sure life is not this difficult for everyone, but this is what its like when you are f-up by your parents, and unless you stop the cycle yourself you end up being f-ed by everyone else too. This is fact, ive seen it with my own eyes. Why esle do Street childern exist? Besides all,that the music rocks in this film and makes it unique. All the musical interludes are so appropriate for each seen. Miguel Arteta is genuis.

The Typical Mexican Soap Opera -Movie Version
The story could have been good, the way it spilled to many other pointless stories is a waste of film and time.

The actors are very good, and seem to be caught in a story line that was made to be too complicated and over dramatized, just like a soap opera with endless plots that go no where.

The writer/director failed to clearly represent the "chicano" (mexican-american) culture, failed to show us Carlos transition from living in mexico (which is extremly conservative) with his grandparents to LA, to a hispanic community in a different country.

The focus is on the exploitation of the stereotypical "mexican", the poor uneducated unsophisticated mexican boy "abused" by his own family, by the american starand prejudice and everyone elses priorities, which unable him to reach his dreams.

This movie tried to shake the audience being aggressive, crude, cliche and with no substance, it is a very poor and unispiring image on the mexican- americans and the americans themselves.

The use of the comedian "cantinflas" to link the characters to their mexican roots is poorly done, and has no relevance to the film nor the characters and what they purue for themselves which is the "american dream".

Poor use of very good actors, whos american dream will not be reached through this movie.

Breaks the Latin Mold
Most reviewers have missed that Star Maps steps out from the Latino film routine of re-establishing the father as the rightful patriarch (Selena, La Familia, Rooster, ad nauseum). This is more than just another gay boy/prostitute movie; in narrative terms, it's a revolution.

Better than expected
I have read all the reviews about this, but decided to sit down and watch it anyway. I was completely caught up in this family and all of their problems. I thought a couple of the performances were a little stiff, but the screenplay kept me interested until the end, and the actors seemed to be earnest in their endeavor. Believe me, there are many other films out there that take the same gay-prostitute storyline and try to shock more than tell a story. This is good, and a great antidote to the current sugary "Latin Explosion."

Star Maps is filled with the promise of dreams
I saw Star Maps twice in the theaters, and still can't get it out of my mind. I keep checking to see when the sell-through VHS will be available (at an affordable price). The film's music is top-notch. This may be a so-called Indie film, but it's performances, especially from Douglas Spain as Carlos, the young man with a dream, are believable. This a gritty, realistic picture about people struggling to stay focused and to survive. Carlos wants to be an actor; he sells maps to the stars homes in Beverly Hills. He believes that all he needs is one chance at the acting brass ring. To earn more money he is forced to hustle, but he knows that what he deeply wants is to be an actor. A touching, poignant movie. There is nudity and adult situations, and even some comedy, but this is a strong film and well worth viewing. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Forrest Gump meets Fatal Attraction
Certain members of the pseudo-intellectual crowd, the type who attend film festivals to be "challenged" by a film instead of merely "entertained," will flock like lemmings to see or rent this film.   I know this type well, because I am currently dating one, and he persuaded me to view this film with him.   What a waste of two hours of my time!

Before I receive hate mail for being "mainstream," let me make it plain that I have enjoyed many films which are off the beaten path: Maurice, My Beautiful Launderette, Beethoven's Nephew, or the recent (WONDERFUL) Big Eden, the list goes on and on.   Unfortunately, the main characters of this tiresome little opus have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and neither does the script.  

Buck, the main character, is an emotionally retarded man in his late 20s, who has never moved past an early adolescent sexual experience with his best friend, Chuck, who HAS grown up and is preparing to get married.  After Buck's mother dies (the first scene in the movie, a charming way to start a film, don't you think?) Chuck attends the funeral, where Buck makes a pass at his old friend in the restroom.  When Chuck rejects Buck's advance, he remains undeterred, and moves to Los Angeles to, in effect stalk Chuck.

While Mike White tries to portray Buck as fragile and lovable, he merely comes across as creepy and irritating.  Frankly, I wound up having more sympathy for Chuck and his fiance, and kept wondering why they didn't go to the police for a restraining order.  That's what any real person would have done.  In another instance of unreality, Buck befriends a young boy who injures his hand with a firecracker. But would any responsible (or even semi-responsible) parent let a character like Buck get within a hundred feet of her son? The utter lack of verisimilitude in these characters' behavior makes it impossible for any semi-critical person to suspend his/her disbelief. The movie rambles through several subplots until Buck winds up blackmailing Chuck into one, final, sexual encounter. The saving grace of this scene is that the viewer knows that the film must be finally nearing an end.

There are those who call this type of film deep and relevant. Frankly, I can find more depth and relevance in an episode of Star Trek.  

Punches a nerve
When Buck, an immature 27-year-old, is reunited with his best friend, Chuck, a successful music industry executive, his resulting infatuation threatens to ruin Chuck's previously stable existence. CHUCK & BUCK successfully blends comedy, drama, and stalker films and is made all the more immediate by Miguel Arteta's decision to shoot on digital video. This, coupled with the striking performances by the two leads--both nonprofessional actors (Mike White and Chris Weitz are successful screenwriters)--results in a highly original film that can't easily be categorized.

"Chuck and Buck" is a disturbing but fascinating film. I have been in both Chuck's shoes (I had a guy in my math class who would not leave me alone, to the point of following me around constantly, asking me out, and calling me) and in Buck's (I was in love with my best friend for two years and went through hell because of it), and let me tell you, neither side is pretty. That's why "Chuck and Buck" is so powerful. It is an extremely real depiction of a stalker and his stalkee. Sure, it's hard to take at times, but the writing, directing, and especially acting, are brilliant.

An expert at finding the humanity in seemingly irredeemable characters, director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) touches more than a few raw nerves, and he taps into the characters' memories through dreamlike footage of young boys and the use of an insidiously catchy kiddie-pop ditty. "Chuck & Buck" is the sort of film that burrows under the skin by refusing to establish the expected cinematic distance between the audience and the bizarre man-child at its center. It may freak us out, but it's never a freak show. Good times!

This Is The Movie That The Cable Guy Should Have Been.
This is one of those movies that makes you laugh and squirm at the same time. Mike White's script and his impressive performance are the driving force behind the film. If you like smart dark comedy, I recommend this movie highly.

You could use a reality check
Shut up. Try getting stalked for 4 years by a Buck-like person and you'll see what I mean idiot.

A welcome refresher
Woah...sounds like the last reviewer could use some therapy of his own.

Yes, a dark movie...yes, a disturbing movie...but it keeps your attention, challenges you, and most importantly its' complexity is an experience...that's why a movie should be about.

And for what it's worth, Buck's desperation and anti-social behaviors are pitiful...how can someone not feel bad for the guy on some level? ... Read more

Reviews (175)

A comedy that leaves you in suspense!
Jennifer Aniston is the bright sunshine girl who really acted well in this flick. It's neither typical date movie nor a romantic comedy. It's really funny and keeps you in suspense. This is Aniston's best work at the movies! It's a great cast ensemble and is award-worthy. It's a different comedy and has one of the week's highest screen average, 14k. It's an emotional feature where you'd see Aniston in a completely different role and a completely different attitude that you'd see her with in "Friends"! The movie's worth a watch!

The movie revolves around Justine (Aniston) who plays a surly worker at Retail Rodeo. She's stressed out and sick of her pot-smoking husband. Soon she meets a fellow worker at Retail Rodeo who is in a worse place than she's in. They soon fall in love but can't seem to keep it a secret. Now she has lots of decisions to make!

The movie wasn't released on a lot of theatres but is quite good and worth checking out!

----Ahmed Mashhood

The Not So Good Girl
The Good Girl had gotten some positive buzz as it made its theatrical run last year, so I was bit curious to see what it was all about, and if actress Jennifer Aniston could pull off a largely dramatic role..Let's just say I was surprised.

Justine (Aniston) is unhappy with her life. She has a thankless husband, (John C. Reilly) and a boring job at the Retail Rodeo, at the cosmetics counter. She desperately wants a change. Enter co-worker Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal), an introspective younger man, who finds himself attracted to Justine. Eventually, they fall in love, and start having an affair with each other. Holden asks her to run away with her, after he decides to steal a large sum of cash, from the store's safe. Directed by Miguel Arteta, the film boasts good performances from the cast, particularly from Aniston, who tries very hard to make you forget the Rachel character she plays on Friends. As for Jake Gyllenhaal, his work is good too, but he seems to employ the same "loner" motif that he used for Donnie Darko for this role as well. Even though the acting in the movie was solid, to be sure, none of it really "wowed" me that much. Having said that, I think that the film's biggest flaw lies in the script. Written by Mike White, the story is very predictible, and the characters are, (for the most part) as well. I could see the film's biggest twists from a mile away. Considering all the aforementioned buzz, I guess I thought it might be a better film.

The DVD includes just a handfull of exrtas. The first of 2 commentary tracks with Arteta and White is pretty good The two men present the making of the film in an informative way. For her part though, Aniston's participation on the second track seemed very limited, which is a letdown, given that she plays the main character in the film. In fact, her comments are less about what it was like to play Justine, and more about her fellow actors instead-I was hoping that she would talk about the whole experience. There are 9 deleted scenes that were wisely left on the cutting room floor. As for the "don't blink or you'll miss it" alternate ending, it's so so brief, you may have to play it twice to "get it". Finally viewers get a 2 and half minute blooper reel (what?? No theatrical trailer??) that isn't all that funny. The DVD allows you to watch the film in either the widescreen or full screen. A disappointment all the way around.

intriguing start descends into formulaic
This movie starts out with an intriguing situation. Jennifer Aniston plays a depressed Retail Rodeo employee with a pig of a husband. She plays the role convincingly, making viewers feel the world of a small-town Texas woman.

When she meets a new employee, a disturbed but more intellectual young man, she thinks she's found an escape from her daily drudgery.

From this point on, events spiral downhill and the movie becomes disappointingly predictable. The element of surprise is lost and viewers are taken on a formulaic ride where predictable consequences come from foreseen actions.

It's not a bad movie to watch on those nights when you want something light, just don't expect surprises.

A Really Disturbing Film
I have read all the other reviews for this movie and I am truly very surprised with how many people enjoyed it. I tried, really, to like this movie, but it is one movie that I truly despise. The story line in itself is unoriginal and also stupid. A woman is having a really bad life, so she starts trying to fix it, no big deal, maybe even intersting. But then her way of "fixing" it is to be in an affair with a strange pyscotic younger man. Not exactly what I think would qualify as fixing. This movie did not hold my attention and to this day I am sorry for the time that I will never get back that was spent watching that movie.
On the plus side, the acting from Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal is very well done. That is the only plus side for the entire movie. Do yourself a favor and watch something you won't regret later, "Office Space" or "The Day After Tomorrow" if you're stuck on the actors, perhaps. Both of those movies are signicantly better.

Un-Rachel Jennifer: Dark, Unpredictable Comedy about Despair
Can Jennifer Aniston do anyting better than "Rachel" after the successful TV drama that went on very long (or too long)? "The Good Girl" is the answer. Yes, she can, and in a surprising way.

Justine (Aniston) is working at a mini-mart in Nowhereville, Texas, completely dissatisfied with the humdrum life with her pot-smoking husband (John C. Reiley), who just doesn't care anything about his life. Her work is boring, always in a drab uniform which makes eveything in her life quite hopeless.

But one day, she notices that a young boy working in the same shop is interested in her. She is attracted to this boy (Jake Gyllenhaal, "Donnie Darko") who has, however, a slightly troublesome tendency. He calls himself "Holden" because, yes, he identified himself with that anti-hero of "Catcher in the Rye," and like Holden, this boy perhaps thinks too much.

Now, Justine thinks: "Could this strange boy is the last and only help offered to her?" Can she escape from the dull reality of life? And if escape, how and where? It's the same case as Madame Bovary, whose name is briefly referred to in the film.

"The Good Girl," written by Mike White (who wrote alarmingly unique "Chuck and Buck"), follows the life of Justine with a wry humor. Written with skewed perspectives, the film is never predictable, giving us a few surprising moments and one very serious decision Justine has to make. It is effectively supported by original characters played by Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel, Deborah Rush, and Mike White himself as church-going guard.

Its dark humor is not for everybody's taste, and the undercurrent statement on life is often disturbing. But Jennifer Aniston's acting as Justine is strong (though you may still see something of Rachel in her.) The film, in its own quiet way, will make you grin, and then think ... think particularly about life as it is, not as it should be. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Despite all Sundance and critical fanfare to the contrary, this intriguing indie hit is hardly an easily digested little winner. Miguel Arteta's film is more than a bit unsettling, and scene after scene plays with intense discomfort. After the death of his mother, strangely juvenile 27-year-old Buck (Mike White) heads off to L.A. with the oblivious, obsessive intent of working his way back into the life of childhood pal Chuck (Chris Weitz), with whom he'd sexually experimented as a boy. Chuck's engaged now, which only serves to increase Buck's determination ("When it's just you and me here, it's like I'm OK," he says. "And all this other stuff makes me feel dead."). Arteta and screenwriter White (who's quite good as Buck) stretch credibility more than once--Buck's troubling emotional state is sketchy, to say the least--and some of their humor is too smirkingly ironic for its own good, but the film's edgy sadness keeps poking at you. Whatever its flaws, there's something compelling here about the fear of growing up and the more unnerving dread of being found out. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Forrest Gump meets Fatal Attraction
Certain members of the pseudo-intellectual crowd, the type who attend film festivals to be "challenged" by a film instead of merely "entertained," will flock like lemmings to see or rent this film.   I know this type well, because I am currently dating one, and he persuaded me to view this film with him.   What a waste of two hours of my time!

Before I receive hate mail for being "mainstream," let me make it plain that I have enjoyed many films which are off the beaten path: Maurice, My Beautiful Launderette, Beethoven's Nephew, or the recent (WONDERFUL) Big Eden, the list goes on and on.   Unfortunately, the main characters of this tiresome little opus have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and neither does the script.  

Buck, the main character, is an emotionally retarded man in his late 20s, who has never moved past an early adolescent sexual experience with his best friend, Chuck, who HAS grown up and is preparing to get married.  After Buck's mother dies (the first scene in the movie, a charming way to start a film, don't you think?) Chuck attends the funeral, where Buck makes a pass at his old friend in the restroom.  When Chuck rejects Buck's advance, he remains undeterred, and moves to Los Angeles to, in effect stalk Chuck.

While Mike White tries to portray Buck as fragile and lovable, he merely comes across as creepy and irritating.  Frankly, I wound up having more sympathy for Chuck and his fiance, and kept wondering why they didn't go to the police for a restraining order.  That's what any real person would have done.  In another instance of unreality, Buck befriends a young boy who injures his hand with a firecracker. But would any responsible (or even semi-responsible) parent let a character like Buck get within a hundred feet of her son? The utter lack of verisimilitude in these characters' behavior makes it impossible for any semi-critical person to suspend his/her disbelief. The movie rambles through several subplots until Buck winds up blackmailing Chuck into one, final, sexual encounter. The saving grace of this scene is that the viewer knows that the film must be finally nearing an end.

There are those who call this type of film deep and relevant. Frankly, I can find more depth and relevance in an episode of Star Trek.  

Punches a nerve
When Buck, an immature 27-year-old, is reunited with his best friend, Chuck, a successful music industry executive, his resulting infatuation threatens to ruin Chuck's previously stable existence. CHUCK & BUCK successfully blends comedy, drama, and stalker films and is made all the more immediate by Miguel Arteta's decision to shoot on digital video. This, coupled with the striking performances by the two leads--both nonprofessional actors (Mike White and Chris Weitz are successful screenwriters)--results in a highly original film that can't easily be categorized.

"Chuck and Buck" is a disturbing but fascinating film. I have been in both Chuck's shoes (I had a guy in my math class who would not leave me alone, to the point of following me around constantly, asking me out, and calling me) and in Buck's (I was in love with my best friend for two years and went through hell because of it), and let me tell you, neither side is pretty. That's why "Chuck and Buck" is so powerful. It is an extremely real depiction of a stalker and his stalkee. Sure, it's hard to take at times, but the writing, directing, and especially acting, are brilliant.

An expert at finding the humanity in seemingly irredeemable characters, director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) touches more than a few raw nerves, and he taps into the characters' memories through dreamlike footage of young boys and the use of an insidiously catchy kiddie-pop ditty. "Chuck & Buck" is the sort of film that burrows under the skin by refusing to establish the expected cinematic distance between the audience and the bizarre man-child at its center. It may freak us out, but it's never a freak show. Good times!

This Is The Movie That The Cable Guy Should Have Been.
This is one of those movies that makes you laugh and squirm at the same time. Mike White's script and his impressive performance are the driving force behind the film. If you like smart dark comedy, I recommend this movie highly.

You could use a reality check
Shut up. Try getting stalked for 4 years by a Buck-like person and you'll see what I mean idiot.

A welcome refresher
Woah...sounds like the last reviewer could use some therapy of his own.

Yes, a dark movie...yes, a disturbing movie...but it keeps your attention, challenges you, and most importantly its' complexity is an experience...that's why a movie should be about.

And for what it's worth, Buck's desperation and anti-social behaviors are pitiful...how can someone not feel bad for the guy on some level? ... Read more

Description

From Alan Ball, the Oscar(r) winning writer of "American Beauty", comes a series that digs where others fear to tread. When a bus kills Nathaniel Fisher, owner of the Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles, the tragedy casts a pall on the homecoming of his prodigal son Nate. Together with with mother Ruth, brother David and sister Claire, they must address the family business, and the many more personal matters that arise when your life is Six Feet Under. ... Read more

Reviews (175)

A comedy that leaves you in suspense!
Jennifer Aniston is the bright sunshine girl who really acted well in this flick. It's neither typical date movie nor a romantic comedy. It's really funny and keeps you in suspense. This is Aniston's best work at the movies! It's a great cast ensemble and is award-worthy. It's a different comedy and has one of the week's highest screen average, 14k. It's an emotional feature where you'd see Aniston in a completely different role and a completely different attitude that you'd see her with in "Friends"! The movie's worth a watch!

The movie revolves around Justine (Aniston) who plays a surly worker at Retail Rodeo. She's stressed out and sick of her pot-smoking husband. Soon she meets a fellow worker at Retail Rodeo who is in a worse place than she's in. They soon fall in love but can't seem to keep it a secret. Now she has lots of decisions to make!

The movie wasn't released on a lot of theatres but is quite good and worth checking out!

----Ahmed Mashhood

The Not So Good Girl
The Good Girl had gotten some positive buzz as it made its theatrical run last year, so I was bit curious to see what it was all about, and if actress Jennifer Aniston could pull off a largely dramatic role..Let's just say I was surprised.

Justine (Aniston) is unhappy with her life. She has a thankless husband, (John C. Reilly) and a boring job at the Retail Rodeo, at the cosmetics counter. She desperately wants a change. Enter co-worker Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal), an introspective younger man, who finds himself attracted to Justine. Eventually, they fall in love, and start having an affair with each other. Holden asks her to run away with her, after he decides to steal a large sum of cash, from the store's safe. Directed by Miguel Arteta, the film boasts good performances from the cast, particularly from Aniston, who tries very hard to make you forget the Rachel character she plays on Friends. As for Jake Gyllenhaal, his work is good too, but he seems to employ the same "loner" motif that he used for Donnie Darko for this role as well. Even though the acting in the movie was solid, to be sure, none of it really "wowed" me that much. Having said that, I think that the film's biggest flaw lies in the script. Written by Mike White, the story is very predictible, and the characters are, (for the most part) as well. I could see the film's biggest twists from a mile away. Considering all the aforementioned buzz, I guess I thought it might be a better film.

The DVD includes just a handfull of exrtas. The first of 2 commentary tracks with Arteta and White is pretty good The two men present the making of the film in an informative way. For her part though, Aniston's participation on the second track seemed very limited, which is a letdown, given that she plays the main character in the film. In fact, her comments are less about what it was like to play Justine, and more about her fellow actors instead-I was hoping that she would talk about the whole experience. There are 9 deleted scenes that were wisely left on the cutting room floor. As for the "don't blink or you'll miss it" alternate ending, it's so so brief, you may have to play it twice to "get it". Finally viewers get a 2 and half minute blooper reel (what?? No theatrical trailer??) that isn't all that funny. The DVD allows you to watch the film in either the widescreen or full screen. A disappointment all the way around.

intriguing start descends into formulaic
This movie starts out with an intriguing situation. Jennifer Aniston plays a depressed Retail Rodeo employee with a pig of a husband. She plays the role convincingly, making viewers feel the world of a small-town Texas woman.

When she meets a new employee, a disturbed but more intellectual young man, she thinks she's found an escape from her daily drudgery.

From this point on, events spiral downhill and the movie becomes disappointingly predictable. The element of surprise is lost and viewers are taken on a formulaic ride where predictable consequences come from foreseen actions.

It's not a bad movie to watch on those nights when you want something light, just don't expect surprises.

A Really Disturbing Film
I have read all the other reviews for this movie and I am truly very surprised with how many people enjoyed it. I tried, really, to like this movie, but it is one movie that I truly despise. The story line in itself is unoriginal and also stupid. A woman is having a really bad life, so she starts trying to fix it, no big deal, maybe even intersting. But then her way of "fixing" it is to be in an affair with a strange pyscotic younger man. Not exactly what I think would qualify as fixing. This movie did not hold my attention and to this day I am sorry for the time that I will never get back that was spent watching that movie.
On the plus side, the acting from Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal is very well done. That is the only plus side for the entire movie. Do yourself a favor and watch something you won't regret later, "Office Space" or "The Day After Tomorrow" if you're stuck on the actors, perhaps. Both of those movies are signicantly better.

Un-Rachel Jennifer: Dark, Unpredictable Comedy about Despair
Can Jennifer Aniston do anyting better than "Rachel" after the successful TV drama that went on very long (or too long)? "The Good Girl" is the answer. Yes, she can, and in a surprising way.

Justine (Aniston) is working at a mini-mart in Nowhereville, Texas, completely dissatisfied with the humdrum life with her pot-smoking husband (John C. Reiley), who just doesn't care anything about his life. Her work is boring, always in a drab uniform which makes eveything in her life quite hopeless.

But one day, she notices that a young boy working in the same shop is interested in her. She is attracted to this boy (Jake Gyllenhaal, "Donnie Darko") who has, however, a slightly troublesome tendency. He calls himself "Holden" because, yes, he identified himself with that anti-hero of "Catcher in the Rye," and like Holden, this boy perhaps thinks too much.

Now, Justine thinks: "Could this strange boy is the last and only help offered to her?" Can she escape from the dull reality of life? And if escape, how and where? It's the same case as Madame Bovary, whose name is briefly referred to in the film.

"The Good Girl," written by Mike White (who wrote alarmingly unique "Chuck and Buck"), follows the life of Justine with a wry humor. Written with skewed perspectives, the film is never predictable, giving us a few surprising moments and one very serious decision Justine has to make. It is effectively supported by original characters played by Tim Blake Nelson, Zooey Deschanel, Deborah Rush, and Mike White himself as church-going guard.

Its dark humor is not for everybody's taste, and the undercurrent statement on life is often disturbing. But Jennifer Aniston's acting as Justine is strong (though you may still see something of Rachel in her.) The film, in its own quiet way, will make you grin, and then think ... think particularly about life as it is, not as it should be. ... Read more