Known for more lighthearted characters, such as Rachel Green in Friends or Alex Levy in The Morning Show, Jennifer Aniston is not known as an actor who takes on roles that touch on the more disturbing aspects of human nature. On the other hand, The White Lotus is a dark drama/comedy that delivers poignant social commentary about material obsessions and dysfunctional relationships. How do the two intersect to create Jennifer Aniston’s darkest movie?
Mike White, the creator, writer, director, and executive producer of The White Lotus, wrote the script for 2002’s The Good Girl, which starred Jennifer Aniston. Falling in line with The White Lotus, the Jennifer Aniston-led drama touches on some dark truths about human nature, giving the actor one of her most disturbing roles to date.
Boredom and Infidelity Paint a Dark Picture of Suburban Life in ‘The Good Girl’
Justine Last (Jennifer Aniston) lives a dull existence in a small Texas town. She goes to work for the daily grind at a market and returns home to her husband Phil (John C. Reilly), who idles away the days by getting stoned and lounging about. Justine’s boredom leads her to take an interest in a young man working at the same market, Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), who identifies with the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye.
The two begin an intense relationship where Justine feels excited and overwhelmed by Holden’s intensity. When her secret is found out, and she is blackmailed into sleeping with her husband’s friend to keep her affair a secret, Holden only becomes more obsessive and protective. Justine finds herself caught between three men, all of whom she has no feelings for, but is driven to navigate her sense of doing what is right and their emotions.
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The phenomenal cast will jump out to most here, with the indie film having several names that would become powerhouses in the industry. Jake Gyllenhaal was still early in his career; John C. Reilly had yet to find his current cult success (not that he still does not excel in smaller productions); Jennifer Aniston was finding success in Friends, but was trying to branch out by appearing in a few smaller productions; and Zooey Deschanel even has a minor role.
The cast here does an exceptional job of capturing a listlessness found in smaller communities that can lead people to make public, embarrassing mistakes. The Good Girl was directed by Miguel Arteta, who has worked on multiple TV series, coming in to direct a single episode here and there, as well as notable films like Cedar Rapids, Duck Butter, and Beatriz at Dinner.
‘The Good Girl’ Turns an Affair Into a Disturbing Tale of Regret and Obsession
The following section contains spoilers for The Good GirlMovies about affairs, whether a sweeping romance where a woman finds new value and an escape from a neglectful husband (or a reversal of husband and wife in that scenario), or a mistake that leads to something more ominous, are not uncommon. Yet, The Good Girl leans in on such tragic themes that it is difficult to shake some of the sad and obsessive portraits of human nature it so brilliantly captures.
Jennifer Aniston’s Justine Last deals with complex feelings of disconnect from her husband and a new, heavily flawed romance. Aware of what her infidelity means, she navigates a troublesome relationship with Holden, where she even contemplates poisoning him to maintain the semblance of a normal relationship with her husband. Her affair with her husband’s friend will be a disgusting turn of events for viewers, more so because of the man’s actions than hers, but she navigates it with a misguided determination to do the right thing. Jake Gyllenhaal’s superb performance as Holden will also uncomfortably tap into memories for some viewers of dealing with volatile, misguided youth in their own experiences growing up or as adults.
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While the journey throughout is an unsettling portrait of a broken suburban household (the archetypal dream), the film’s climax onward is where The Good Girl becomes disturbing. Notably, Justine finding out she is pregnant without knowing which of the three men is the father, puts her in a precarious position and a desperation to make things right with her husband. For his part, John C. Reilly’s Phil embraces the role. However, the production ends with a lingering sense that Justine’s actions will affect the rest of their lives and her child’s life. Sprinkle on a few other moments of shock, including Justine turning in Holden as being mentally ill to his family, and the final moments of The Good Girl are so deeply tragic that it is hard to shake the feeling of discomfort afterward.
Should You Watch ‘The Good Girl’?
Those who adore everything Jennifer Aniston does may be slightly at odds with The Good Girl. The feature film is a portrait of a distraught woman who goes through a lot of abuse and confusion, both at her hands and the actions of others. The movie is far from ‘feel good.’ Still, Aniston’s performance in The Good Girl is outstanding and one of the best highlights of her diverse skill set; the supporting cast is equally superb under Miguel Arteta’s direction. If you are coming to the feature because of Jennifer Aniston, just be ready to expect something slightly different.
For fans of The White Lotus, The Good Girl should vibe with its dark comedy and contemplative script from Mike White. If The Good Girl deserves one praise, it would be how it explores complex characters with a genuine desire to understand how poorly people can act in a particular environment and make the wrong choices; a perfect companion to the themes within The White Lotus. Unfortunately, those interested in The Good Girl will have to do some digging as it is unavailable to stream or through VOD. The White Lotus is currently streaming on Max.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
