The Good Girl (2002)

A discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.

Director:

Miguel Arteta

Writer:

Mike White

Stars:

Jennifer Aniston, Deborah Rush, Mike White

6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Aniston	...	Justine Last
Deborah Rush	...	Gwen Jackson
Mike White	...	Corny
John Carroll Lynch	...	Jack Field, Your Store Manager
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Holden Worther
Zooey Deschanel	...	Cheryl
John C. Reilly	...	Phil Last
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Bubba
Jacquie Barnbrook	...	Heavy Set Woman
Annie O'Donnell	...	Haggard Woman
John Doe	...	Mr. Worther
Roxanne Hart	...	Mrs. Worther
Jon Shere	...	Lester (as Jonathan Shere)
Alice Amter	...	Big Haired Woman
Jean Rhodes	...	Old Woman

Storyline

The plot revolves around a young married woman whose mundane life takes a turn for the worse when she strikes up a passionate and illicit affair with an oddball discount-store stock boy who thinks he's Holden Caulfield.

---

Plot Keywords:

discount store | store | pregnancy | infertility | house painter | 

---

Taglines:

It's her last best chance... is she going to take it?

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, some language and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Filmax [es] Fox Searchlight [us]

Country:

USA Germany Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 2003 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

A Boa Rapaza

Filming Locations:

Glen Capri Motel - 6700 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£114,235 (UK) (10 January 2003)

Gross:

£270,720 (UK) (17 January 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flan de Coco Films, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Hungry Eye Lowland Pictures B.V.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was shot in 33 days, often with six scenes being shot a day.

---

Goofs

In Bubba's bedroom, the Texas Flag is upside down.

---

Quotes

Justine: After living in the dark for so long, a glimpse of the light can make you giddy. Strange thoughts come into your head and you better think'em. Has a special fate been calling you and you not listening? Is there a secret message right in front of you and you're not reading it? Is this your last, best chance? Are you gonna take it? Or are you going to the grave with unlived lives in your veins?

---

Crazy Credits

Special thanks to The Arteta Family and The Greenfield Family.

---

Connections

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003)

---

Soundtracks

"Black Eyed Dog"
(1986)
Written and Performed by Nick Drake
Courtesy of Universal-Island Records Ltd.
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Nonchalant both about its brains and its humor

Jennifer Aniston excels as small-town cashier, stifled in a rudderless marriage and miserable at her boring job, who has an affair with a younger co-worker, leading to a series of confounding personal events. Black comedy is initially bright and biting, subtle about its comedic elements and characters while gently satirizing the middle class aesthetic. Unfortunately, the film takes a wrong turn late in the second-half and never quite recovers, leading to an emotionally unsatisfying finish. The performers are all terrific, especially John C. Reilly as Aniston's pot-smoking husband; but, as the screenplay loses steam so do the actors, and the final events are mechanically offbeat--engineered to be quirky. *** from ****