Complicated parent-child relationships have been heavily explored in films and television, and now Goodrich is being added to the list. Starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, director and writer Hallie Meyers-Shyer, daughter of Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers, pulled from her personal life for this film, including her father having children who are significantly younger than her.
The dramedy is anchored by Keaton and Kunis holding this story on solid ground throughout the film. While the movie feels a bit rushed a times, there’s still an appealing heart to the story.
What is ‘Goodrich’ about?
Andy Goodrich (Keaton) is a father of three, his eldest daughter Grace (Kunis), from his first marriage, and two nine-year-old twins, Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Mose (Jacob Kopera), from his second. Andy is an art gallery owner who has largely been an absentee dad, for all three of his children.
Things shift when he gets a phone call from his wife Naomi (Laura Benanti), telling him that she’s checked herself into rehab for a pill addiction. Not only is Andy completely unaware of his wife’s addiction, he didn’t even realize she wasn’t in bed with him until the phone rang.
Now Andy is left to look after his twins, and it’s a rough road. For example, Andy forgot about his son’s nut allergy, almost causes Moses to go into anaphylaxis with a take-out dinner order.
While Andy is trying to adjust to these parental responsibilities he’s be largely avoiding in his life, he’s also facing pressure at work. The gallery severely struggling financially and Andy has to try to close a deal with the daughter (Carmen Ejogo) of a recently deceased artist to keep the gallery afloat.
Andy has a friendly relationship with Grace, an entertainment journalist who’s pregnant with her first child, with her husband Pete (Danny Deferrari). But throughout the course of the story, Grace and Andy evaluate their relationship, including Grace confronting her dad about regularly disappointing her growing up.
Is ‘Goodrich’ worth watching?
Goodrich falls into the category or a reliable and comfortable dramedy. There are moments meant to make you giggle, with others crafted to possibly bring a tear to your eye. It has actors that you can count on to engage with through the film, but it very much stays in that blanket of predictability.
That won’t be a bad thing for a lot of people, many just want to tuck in and watch a film where you can anticipate from the beginning that everything will be alright. But Goodrich seems to leave a lot on the table, particularly with the relationship between Andy and Grace.
In fact, it’s really the lack of Grace’s presence in the movie that leaves you wanting more. When she starts to see how different Andy is as a father with her half-siblings, compared to when she was their age, there’s real hurt there, and you want to see Grace’s feelings more than we’re afforded in Goodrich.
Actually, the most impactful moment in the whole film comes from Danny Deferrari. When Grace is about to give birth with potential complications, Pete gives an emotional and heartfelt pep talk to reassure his wife that everything is going to be OK.
The approach to Goodrich feels too comfortable, like there are large swaths of human emotions unexplored, or maybe even avoided. It feels like we’re being held an arms length away from getting into the real gritty elements of Grace and Andy relationship, in exchange for a maintained lightheartedness throughout the film.
Keaton continues to be one of the most charismatic actors to watch, and Kunis is a great match, believably portraying a father-daughter relationship where she’s angry about how absent he’s been in her life. It’s the pleasure of watching them together that keeps you engaged.
But this is maybe a film that plays it too safe. Parent-child relationships are complex and are spaces for deep exploration, if we’re allowed.
Goodrich is now in theatres