The Good Guy (film)

Last updated
The Good Guy
Good guy.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Julio DePietro
Written byJulio DePietro
Produced by
  • Linda Moran
  • Rene Bastian
  • Julio DePietro
Starring
Edited byRay Hubley
Music by Kurt Oldman and Tomandandy
Production
company
Belladonna Productions Movie Studio [1]
Distributed by Roadside Attractions
Release dates
  • April 26, 2009 (2009-04-26)(Tribeca)
  • February 18, 2010 (2010-02-18)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million [2]
Box office$106,460 [2]

The Good Guy is a 2009 romantic comedy film directed by Julio DePietro starring Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, and Bryan Greenberg. The story is a loose adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's 1915 novel The Good Soldier , which is referenced several times in the film's plot.

Contents

Plot

Tommy Fielding is young, clever, charming, and attractive. He has got a smart, beautiful girlfriend, Beth, a young Manhattanite and urban conservationist. He's also very good at his investment broker job, impressing his ruthless, cynical boss, Cash. When a key member of Tommy's sales team suddenly leaves for a competitor, Tommy needs to fill his spot quickly, and takes a chance on the bumbling Daniel, a former avionics engineer and computer geek who seems a bit naïve about high finance and a bit nervous around women. Tommy takes Daniel under his wing, showing him how to dress, where to socialize, and how to charm attractive women. Their relationship is threatened when Daniel begins spending more time with Beth, joining her book club, and becoming her confidant. Tommy begins to question his decision to share his wisdom with Daniel, while Daniel is forced to decide what success really means to him, and where his loyalties lie in life. The relationship Tommy and Beth share is seemingly perfect, almost too perfect and this is the first indication that there is something not right about this dynamic. This is confirmed later on when Tommy is revealed to be a misogynistic womanizer he is. At the same time this superficial relationship is falling apart, a more organic and beautiful connection starts building between Beth and Daniel. They bond over books and deep conversations, which eventually survives.

Cast

Soundtracks

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 35% based on reviews from 26 critics. [3] On Metacritic the film has a score of 47% based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [4]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 out of 4 and wrote: "It has smart characters, and is wise about the ones who try to tame their intelligence by acting out." [5]

Andrew Barker of Variety wrote, that "Lacking much of a satirical bite, the pic's quasi-celebration of crude laddishness becomes oppressive." [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Family Man</i> 2000 film directed by Brett Ratner

The Family Man is a 2000 American romantic fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Brett Ratner, from a screenplay by David Diamond and David Weissman. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni, with Don Cheadle, Saul Rubinek, and Jeremy Piven in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Bledel</span> American actress and model (born 1981)

Kimberly Alexis Bledel is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Rory Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007) and Emily Malek in The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2021). Bledel also had a recurring role in Mad Men in 2012 and reprised her role as Rory Gilmore in the Netflix reunion miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016).

<i>The Perfect Score</i> 2004 American film

The Perfect Score is a 2004 American teen comedy-heist film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and Leonardo Nam.

<i>Stuart Saves His Family</i> 1995 American film

Stuart Saves His Family is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis based on a series of Saturday Night Live sketches from the early to mid-1990s. The film follows the adventures of would-be self-help guru Stuart Smalley, a creation of comedian Al Franken, as he attempts to save both his deeply troubled family and his low-rated public-access television show. Some of the plot is inspired by Franken's book, I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations by Stuart Smalley.

<i>Payback</i> (1999 film) 1999 film by Brian Helgeland

Payback is a 1999 American neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut, and starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, and David Paymer. It is based on the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake using the pseudonym Richard Stark, which had earlier been adapted into the 1967 film noir classic Point Blank, directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin.

<i>Threesome</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Andrew Fleming

Threesome is a 1994 American erotic dramedy film, written and directed by Andrew Fleming and starring Lara Flynn Boyle, Stephen Baldwin and Josh Charles. It is an autobiographical comedy mixed with social commentary, and is based on Fleming's college memories. The film was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America.

<i>The Adventures of Ford Fairlane</i> 1990 action/comedy film directed by Renny Harlin

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane is a 1990 American action comedy film noir mystery film directed by Renny Harlin and written by David Arnott, James Cappe, and Daniel Waters based on a story by Arnott and Cappe. The film stars comedian Andrew Dice Clay as the title character, Ford Fairlane, a "Rock n' Roll Detective", whose beat is the music industry in Los Angeles. True to his name, Ford drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner in the film.

<i>Valley Girl</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Martha Coolidge

Valley Girl is a 1983 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge and written and produced by Wayne Crawford and Andrew Lane. Loosely based on the tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the film centers on the romance between a valley girl and a city punk. Michelle Meyrink, Elizabeth Daily, Cameron Dye and Michael Bowen appear in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Greenberg</span> American actor and musician

Bryan Greenberg is an American actor and singer, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role in The Mindy Project. He also had a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the WB series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road. His film work includes The Perfect Score, Prime, Bride Wars, and Friends with Benefits. He made his directorial debut with his film Junction.

<i>Prime</i> (film) 2005 American film

Prime is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Uma Thurman, Meryl Streep, and Bryan Greenberg. It was written and directed by Ben Younger. The film grossed $67,937,503 worldwide.

<i>Nobel Son</i> 2007 American film

Nobel Son is a 2007 American black comedy about a dysfunctional family dealing with the kidnapping of their son for ransom following the father's winning of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The film features Alan Rickman as the prize-winning professor and Mary Steenburgen as his wife, with Bryan Greenberg as their kidnapped son.

<i>Skin Deep</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Blake Edwards

Skin Deep is a 1989 American romantic sex comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring John Ritter.

<i>Tuck Everlasting</i> (2002 film) Film by Jay Russell

Tuck Everlasting is a 2002 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Jay Russell and written by Jeffrey Lieber and James V. Hart, based on Natalie Babbitt's 1975 book of the same name. Narrated by Elisabeth Shue, the film stars Alexis Bledel, Ben Kingsley, Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Victor Garber, Jonathan Jackson, Scott Bairstow and William Hurt. The film was released in the United States on October 11, 2002.

<i>If Lucy Fell</i> 1996 American film

If Lucy Fell is a 1996 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Eric Schaeffer, who also co-stars in the film alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller and Elle Macpherson. It was released on DVD January 30, 2001.

<i>The Underneath</i> (film) American crime film

The Underneath is a 1995 American crime film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Peter Gallagher and Alison Elliott. The film is based on the novel Criss Cross by Don Tracy, and is a remake of the original 1949 film adapted from the novel by Daniel Fuchs. The plot revolves around many themes common to film noir, including romantic intrigue, a botched crime, and a surprise ending.

<i>Im Reed Fish</i> 2006 American film

I'm Reed Fish is an American romantic comedy film based on a story by Reed Fish. It was first released on April 25, 2006 at the Tribeca Film Festival, then released theatrically on June 1, 2007, and on DVD on September 4, 2007. The film was directed by Zackary Adler and stars Alexis Bledel, Jay Baruchel, and Schuyler Fisk. Baruchel won the Best Actor award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2007 for his role of Reed Fish.

<i>My Best Friends Girl</i> (2008 film) 2008 American film

My Best Friend's Girl is a 2008 American romantic comedy film by Howard Deutch and stars Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, Diora Baird, Alec Baldwin, Riki Lindhome and Lizzy Caplan. It was released on September 19, 2008. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics and grossed $41 million. As of 2024, it is the last film Deutch has directed.

<i>Post Grad</i> 2009 American film

Post Grad is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Vicky Jenson and starring Alexis Bledel, about a recent college graduate who moves back in with her family while she figures out what she wants to do next.

<i>Greenberg</i> (film) 2010 film by Noah Baumbach

Greenberg is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Noah Baumbach, who wrote the screenplay and co-wrote the story with his then-wife Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film stars Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, and Leigh, with Mark Duplass, Merritt Wever, Chris Messina, Brie Larson, Juno Temple, Jake Paltrow, and Dave Franco in supporting roles. The film's soundtrack features the first film score by James Murphy.

<i>Violet & Daisy</i> 2011 American film

Violet & Daisy is a 2011 American crime comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Geoffrey Fletcher in his directorial debut. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Alexis Bledel, Danny Trejo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and James Gandolfini in one of his last acting roles before his death on June 19, 2013. Supporting roles are performed by John Ventimiglia, Danny Hoch, and Tatiana Maslany. Violet & Daisy follows two teenage assassins named Violet and Daisy who accept what they think will be a quick-and-easy job, until an unexpected target throws them off their plan.

References

  1. The Good Guy film info
  2. 1 2 "The Good Guy (2010) - Financial Information". The Numbers .
  3. "The Good Guy (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  4. "The Good Guy". Metacritic .
  5. Ebert, Roger (March 3, 2010). "Wall Street party animals betting your money; one likes Nabokov". Chicago Sun-Times .
  6. Barker, Andrew (17 February 2010). "The Good Guy". Variety .