A Good Person

Last updated

A Good Person
A Good Person poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Zach Braff
Written byZach Braff
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Mauro Fiore
Edited byDan Schalk
Music by Bryce Dessner
Production
companies
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • March 8, 2023 (2023-03-08)(The Ham Yard Hotel, London)
  • March 24, 2023 (2023-03-24)(United States)
Running time
129 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.1 million [2] [3]

A Good Person is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Zach Braff. The film stars Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O'Connor, Molly Shannon, and Chinaza Uche.

Contents

A Good Person was released in the United States on a limited theatrical release on March 24, 2023, before a wide expansion on March 31, 2023, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film received mixed response from critics.

Plot

Allison Johnson is an aspiring musician, engaged to her high school boyfriend, Nathan Adams. The day following their engagement party, Allison causes an accident while driving with her eyes off the road, killing her future brother and sister-in-law Jesse and Molly, and sustaining critical injuries.

One year later, dealing with severe depression and unable to deal with her guilt, Allison lives with her mother Diane, who attempts to curb her daughter's addiction to pain pills. Meanwhile, Nathan and Molly's ex-cop father Daniel is taking care of his granddaughter Ryan, who is still processing the loss of her parents.

After failing to get drugs illicitly from her friend Becka, and after a humiliating encounter with two high school acquaintances leads her into a downward spiral, Allison joins an AA group. There, she unexpectedly encounters Daniel, who reveals in a meeting that his drinking resulted in repeated blackouts where he wouldn't remember his violent behavior, and that in one such occasion he destroyed the hearing in Nathan's ear. Ryan, in her turn, is bullied for her status as an orphan and in trouble for her behavior.

Allison meets Daniel at his house, and while leaving, she is confronted by Ryan for Allison's direct responsibility in her parents’ death. Allison eventually relapses, before pulling herself together and accompanying Ryan to a concert, where Allison is reintroduced to Nathan and his new paralegal girlfriend. Allison is devastated at what she perceives as a cruel act by Ryan, and accompanies her to an after-party where she relapses again. Allison is unable to protect Ryan being taken advantage of in a back room, but Daniel arrives drunk and puts an end to it, threatening Ryan’s lover with a handgun. During the altercation Nathan steps in front of the gun and talks his father down from his relapsed state. Outside, Daniel confesses that he considered Allison a test from God, but now realizes she's a waste and insults her before hailing a cab.

After accepting her role in the accident, Allison is able to move toward recovery. A year later, Allison is writing songs again, and she and Nathan reacquaint themselves. Daniel passes away suddenly, leaving Ryan in Nathan's care until she leaves for college, and Allison attends the funeral where she discovers Daniel's letter to her explaining his thoughts and that the Latin translation of his tattoo "amor fati" is "to love one's fate". After the wake, Ryan and Allison embrace on the front stoop.

Cast

Other appearances include Drew Gehling as Max, Jessie Mueller as Sandra Keen, Shirley Rumierk as Dr. Gonzalez, Cary Brothers as himself, Charlene Kaye as bassist, and Jackie Hoffman as Belinda.

Production

Writer, director, and producer Zach Braff Zach Braff by David Shankbone.jpg
Writer, director, and producer Zach Braff

On February 26, 2021, it was reported Zach Braff would write and direct A Good Person, a drama starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. [4] By March 2021, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was in negotiations to acquire the rights to the film in a multimillion-dollar deal. [5] In September 2021, it was confirmed MGM would be producing and distributing the film, with Molly Shannon joining the cast, and Braff and Pugh set to produce. [6]

In July 2021, when asked if he would go back to directing feature films, Braff said "I'd like to do more. I just kind of, for better, for worse, I just go where the wind takes me ... and then the pandemic happened and I wrote this screenplay. And then that came together with Florence [Pugh] and Morgan Freeman". [7] Principal photography began in October 2021, with Celeste O'Connor, [8] Zoe Lister-Jones, [9] and Chinaza Uche joining the cast. [10] In November 2021, filming took place at Columbia High School, Braff's alma mater, in Maplewood, New Jersey. [11]

Music

Release

It was released on limited release on March 24, 2023, with wide expansion from March 31, 2023. [12] The film had its red carpet premiere at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on March 8, 2023. [13] The film was released on Blu-ray on May 30. [14]

Reception

Box office

A Good Person made $2.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $890,791 around rest of the world, grossing a worldwide total of $3.1 million. [2] [3]

In limited release, the film grossed $832,007 at the box office from 530 theatres, finishing in 12th place. [15] The film had a wide expansion on March 31 alongside Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves , A Thousand and One and His Only Son , and grossed $510,210 at the box office, expanding 687 theatres and finishing 14th place beaten up by Champions (2023) (in a record of $700,000). [16] [17]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 58% of 118 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.The website's consensus reads: "Busy, baggy, and schmaltzy, A Good Person proves that the best of intentions and terrific performances can sometimes add up to a movie that's merely fine." [18] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [19]

Accolades

Cary Brothers and Scott Effman received a nomination for Best Original Song in an Independent Film at the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards. [20] Chinaza Uche was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Film. [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Unsinkable Molly Brown</i> (film) 1964 film directed by Charles Walters

The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a 1964 American Western musical comedy film directed by Charles Walters and starring Debbie Reynolds, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Helen Deutsch is based on the book of the 1960 musical of the same name by Richard Morris. The song score was composed by Meredith Willson. The plot is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. Reynolds was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Brown.

<i>Garden State</i> (film) 2004 American film by Zach Braff

Garden State is a 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Zach Braff and starring Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ian Holm. The film centers on Andrew Largeman (Braff), a 26-year-old actor/waiter who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother dies. Braff based the film on his real life experiences. It was filmed in April and May 2003 and released on July 28, 2004. New Jersey was the main setting and primary shooting location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Shannon</span> American actress and comedian (born 1964)

Molly Helen Shannon is an American actress and comedian. Shannon was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. In 2017, she won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Other People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Braff</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1975)

Zachary Israel Braff is an American actor and filmmaker. He portrayed John Michael "J.D." Dorian on the NBC/ABC television series Scrubs (2001–2010), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2005 as well as for three Golden Globe Awards from 2005 to 2007. He starred in The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000), The Last Kiss (2006), The Ex (2006), and In Dubious Battle (2016). He has done voice-work for Chicken Little (2005), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and the Netflix series BoJack Horseman.

Amazon MGM Studios, formerly Amazon Studios, is an American film and television production and distribution studio owned by Amazon and launched on November 16, 2010. It took its current name on October 3, 2023, following its merger with MGM Holdings, which Amazon had acquired the year prior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Freeman on screen and stage</span>

American actor and producer Morgan Freeman has had a prolific career on film, television and on the stage. His film debut was as an uncredited character in the Sidney Lumet–directed drama The Pawnbroker in 1964. Freeman also made his stage debut in the same year by appearing in the musical Hello, Dolly! He followed this with further stage appearances in The Niggerlovers (1967), The Dozens (1969), Exhibition (1969), and the musical Purlie (1970–1971). He played various characters on the children's television series The Electric Company (1971–1977). Freeman subsequently appeared in the films Teachers in 1984, and Marie in 1985 before making his breakthrough with 1987's Street Smart. His role earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later he appeared in war film Glory (1989), and starred as Hoke Coleburn in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Freeman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in the latter and also earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Grey Pictures</span> American independent film production company

Point Grey (PGP) is an American film and television production company, founded in 2011 by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The name of the company comes from Vancouver's Point Grey Secondary School, where Rogen and Goldberg met.

<i>Going in Style</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Zach Braff

Going in Style is a 2017 American remake of the 1979 comedy film of the same name. Directed by Zach Braff and written by Theodore Melfi, it stars Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Joey King, Matt Dillon, Christopher Lloyd, Ann-Margret, John Ortiz and Siobhan Fallon Hogan. It follows a trio of retirees who plan to rob a bank after their pensions are canceled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Pugh</span> English actress (born 1996)

Florence Rose Pugh is an English actress. She made her acting debut in 2014 in the drama film The Falling. Pugh gained recognition in 2016 for her leading role as a young bride in the independent drama Lady Macbeth, winning a British Independent Film Award, and drew praise for starring in the miniseries The Little Drummer Girl (2018).

<i>Fighting with My Family</i> 2019 film by Stephen Merchant

Fighting with My Family is a 2019 biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English professional wrestler Paige as she makes her way to WWE, while also following her brother Zak Zodiac, as he struggles with his failure to achieve similar success. Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden star as Paige and Zodiac respectively, alongside Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson, with the latter also acting as producer.

<i>The Comeback Trail</i> (2020 film) 2020 film directed by George Gallo

The Comeback Trail is a 2020 American crime comedy film directed by George Gallo and written by Gallo and Josh Posner, based on the 1982 film of the same name by Harry Hurwitz. It stars Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Emile Hirsch, Eddie Griffin, Kate Katzman, and Blerim Destani.

<i>Dont Worry Darling</i> 2022 American film by Olivia Wilde

Don't Worry Darling is a 2022 American psychological thriller film directed by Olivia Wilde from a screenplay by Katie Silberman, based on a spec script by Silberman, Carey Van Dyke, and Shane Van Dyke. The film stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine. The film follows a housewife living in an idyllic company town who begins to suspect a sinister secret being kept from its residents by the man who runs it.

Shirley Rumierk is an American actress known for her role as Vanessa Suarez in Rise and as Autumn Cox in Manifest.

<i>Solos</i> (TV series) 2021 streaming television series

Solos is an American dramatic anthology streaming television miniseries created by David Weil and produced by Amazon Studios. It stars Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Anthony Mackie, Constance Wu, Dan Stevens and Nicole Beharie. The seven-episode series premiered on May 21, 2021 on Amazon Prime Video in UK, United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, India, New Zealand and later that year in additional territories.

<i>The Wonder</i> (film) 2022 film by Sebastián Lelio

The Wonder is a 2022 period psychological drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio. Emma Donoghue, Lelio, and Alice Birch wrote the screenplay based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Donoghue. Set shortly after the Great Famine, it follows an English nurse sent to a rural Irish village to observe a young 'fasting girl', who is seemingly able to miraculously survive without eating. Florence Pugh leads an ensemble cast that includes Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Dermot Crowley, Brían F. O'Byrne, David Wilmot, Ruth Bradley, Caolán Byrne, Josie Walker, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, and Kíla Lord Cassidy.

<i>Spin Me Round</i> 2022 film by Jeff Baena

Spin Me Round is a 2022 American dark comedy film co-written by Jeff Baena and Alison Brie and directed by Baena. It premiered at the 2022 South by Southwest festival on March 12, 2022. It was released on August 19, 2022, by IFC Films in theaters and by AMC+ on video on demand.

<i>Silo</i> (TV series) American science fiction television series

Silo is an American science fiction dystopian drama television series created by Graham Yost based on the series of novels of the same name by author Hugh Howey. Set in a dystopian future where a community exists in a giant underground silo comprising 144 levels, it stars Rebecca Ferguson as an engineer who becomes embroiled in the mysteries of its past and present. Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, Tim Robbins, Harriet Walter, Avi Nash, Rick Gomez, and Chinaza Uche also star.

Red One is an upcoming American action-adventure Christmas film, directed by Jake Kasdan, with a script written by Chris Morgan, from an original story by Hiram Garcia. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in the lead roles, and features Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, J. K. Simmons, Nick Kroll and Kristofer Hivju in supporting roles. Johnson, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Kasdan, Melvin Mar, and Morgan serve as producers.

Chinaza Uche is a Scottish-born actor based in the United States. He is known for his series regular role in the Apple TV series Dickinson and Silo. He was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA for Best Actor in a Film for his performance in the film A Good Person (2023).

The music to the 2023 drama film A Good Person, directed by Zach Braff, featured two soundtracks: A Good Person (Music from the Original Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2023 film featuring the compilation of popular hits by various artists, and two original songs written by Florence Pugh as Allison. A Good Person (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) consists of the film's original score composed by Bryce Dessner. Both the soundtrack and the score albums were released on March 24, 2023 by Mercury Classics, the same date as the film's release.

References

  1. 1 2 "A Good Person (15)". BBFC . Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "A Good Person (2023)". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "A Good Person (2023)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  4. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (February 26, 2021). "Florence Pugh & Morgan Freeman To Star In Zach Braff-Directed A Good Person, Rocket Science & CAA Launch Sales — EFM". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 28, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  5. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (March 24, 2021). "MGM Nearing Deal For North American & Key Int'l Rights To Zach Braff's Good Person With Florence Pugh & Morgan Freeman". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  6. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 22, 2021). "Molly Shannon Joins Florence Pugh And Morgan Freeman in Zach Braff's A Good Person At MGM". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (July 26, 2021). "Zach Braff's Secret to Filming Those Ted Lasso Soccer Scenes" . Vanity Fair . Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (October 25, 2021). "Celeste O'Connor Joins Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Molly Shannon in Zach Braff's A Good Person at MGM (Exclusive)". Variety . Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 25, 2021). "Zoe Lister-Jones Joins Zach Braff's A Good Person At MGM". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 28, 2021). "Chinaza Uche Joins Zach Braff's MGM Drama A Good Person". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Zach Braff, Morgan Freeman, Florence Pugh Film A Good Person at Columbia High School". The Village Green of Maplewood and South Orange. November 6, 2021. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  12. ↑ Zhan, Jennifer (December 15, 2022). "Florence Pugh Goes Off the Rails in the Trailer for A Good Person". Vulture . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  13. ↑ Edmonds, Lizzie (March 22, 2023). "Florence Pugh: "I insisted I cut my own hair in A Good Person"". Evening Standard . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  14. ↑ "A Good Person Blu-ray Disc Details". Hi-Def Digest . Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Domestic 2023 Weekend 12". BoxOfficeMojo. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Domestic 2023 Weekend 13". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Weekend Box Office: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Rolls a First Place Opening". Box Office Pro. April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  18. ↑ "A Good Person". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ "A Good Person". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  20. ↑ https://www.hmmawards.com/2023-HMMA-nominations/
  21. ↑ https://www.bafta.org/bafta-scotland-awards-2023-full-nominations-list
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.