Last Updated on October 18, 2024 by
Goodrich is a 2024 comedy-drama Movie written and directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer. The film stars Michael Keaton, Carmen Ejogo, and Poorna Jagannathan, with a runtime of 1 hour 51Min, and was released on October 18, 2024.
‘Goodrich’, depicts a typical working father, who wakes up one morning to be a full-time caretaker of the children when he had least expected it.
Throughout the movie Motionless Things, the main character of the film–Andy Goodrich portrayed by Michael Keaton–is depicted as a hardworking man and dedicated art gallery owner who throughout his entire life of forty was pushed towards professional success. He is a wealthy man living in a rich house and spends much of his time indulging in fine accessories and also taking care of his gallery which is in a rather dilapidated state. However, his life takes a drastic turn for the worse when his wife, Naomi played by Laura Benanti, decides to divorce him. She enters rehab for her addiction problems, which puts more pressure and responsibility on Andy to take care of their nine-year-old twin daughters, Billie (Vivian Lyra Blair) and Mose (Jacob Kopera).
Finally, Andy just can’t cope with the expectations of becoming a full-time father. He also does not understand even basic things in life like preparing school meals or the fact that some children in school might have allergies. Having nowhere to turn, he goes to his rebellious daughter Grace – played by Mila Kunis – who is pregnant and just beginning to face life’s obstacles herself. Grace is a complex character, full of longing and contempt towards her father whom she has come to resent in the years since she was sent away.
Despite all this, when Andy finds it difficult to run his gallery with the growing instability at home, his business eventually experiences a financial blow. The art world though is not what it used to be and he is now left with very few choices. This aspect reveals to us how Andy’s life turns into a circle of school schedules, playtime and the stress that comes with single parenthood. He transforms learning, both the pleasures and challenges associated with being a parent and provider for his children.
During such a journey, Andy forms some very peculiar relationships such as with Terry (Michael Urie) who is a single father to an epileptic child. At first, their relationship is like any ordinary father-son relationship but it soon transforms and they end up misunderstanding each other which doesn’t really make much sense and is quite an unnecessary addition to the actual plot.
Andy even tries to rescue his failing gallery by attempting to buy the rights to sell paintings from Lola (Carmen Ejogo), who is the daughter of the recently deceased famous artist. This has the effect of not contributing much to the pace of the actual film and can at times be jarring and seem like filler in an already dense narrative.
In a way, Goodrich is all about being able to effectively communicate and comprehend. Again, it is about the journey of Andy trying to regain the family and accept the life he has established with all the challenges including the wrong decisions he took. In the film’s endeavor to convey emotion, emotion is at times given a savvy wrench, resulting in a clutch of shallow feelings as opposed to making for a sweet feel-good time.
However, with all that being said, there is no denying that Michael Keaton delivers a standout performance as Andy. The acting alone makes the film interesting; the hardship that Andy has to face is portrayed in such a realistic way due to his performance. Thus, while the story seems to be rather shallow at moments, Keaton’s ability to express various emotions keeps the audience grounded.
In conclusion, Goodrich can be best described as a heartwarming yet poignant exploration of fathering and maturation. Although it attempts originality by incorporating comedy and drama at the same time it does not fulfill the purpose of conveying a clear message. Still, this movie is worth watching due to Michael Keaton who does his best to make the audience interested in a protagonist’s transformation. I would like to say that if you want to catch a funny or cheerful second chance story with a good throw in parenting, then yes you might want to give this movie a try but don’t expect anything new on the theme.
Goodrich 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Goodrich is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for some language.
Violence: In the movie, there are instances of people yelling at one another, which could be attributed to marital and parenting issues. Such scenes can put the audience on edge. People sometimes slap each other during an altercation, which, while not explicit, might suggest aggression. Also injuring the children in a minor way during the show causes distress but not suffering.
Language: It is noted that there is occasional use of strong language, with a focus on profanity in the movie. There are also some terms related to prostitution and other vulgarisms that you might find unpleasant and better to avoid using in front of children. Parents should know that this language can contribute to the R rating since it contains a lot of profanity.
Substance Use: Perhaps the most conspicuous element of this film is drug and alcohol use as exemplified by the fact that Andy’s wife, Naomi, is a recovering addict. It must be said that the film does not necessarily romanticize substance use but does show characters consuming alcohol and discussing dependency, which could be disturbing to young audiences. One will see instances where people take wine during parties and celebrations to portray the social aspect of the activity.
Sexual Content: Although there are no clear sexual scenes depicted in Goodrich, there are elements of mature relations and consequences of adultery displayed. Some of the conversations may hint at the sexual experiences that the two characters had, which depicts some explicit content that can be understood by the young generation. It is also pertinent for parents to heed this aspect, given that the show features themes that are intrinsically courting the principles of relation and choice as exhibited by adults.
