The Good Half (2024) – Written Review

Starring Nick Jonas and Alexandra Shipp, we watch a young man romances one woman while he mourns, with his family, the death of his mother.

Plot Summary

Lily Wheeland, Renn, and Leigh’s mother, just died. Naturally, it isn’t easy for anyone to process this, including Lily’s first ex-husband, father to her kids, Darren. However, to add to the struggle is Lily’s second husband, Rick, who is a REAL piece of work.

Luckily for Renn though, on his way back home to Cleveland, he runs into Zoey, and on top of there being a mutual interest, she is a therapist. One who doesn’t use her degree to force him to express his emotions but just as much gives him an escape from grief as she gives him space to embrace it.

Noted Cast and Characters Of “The Good Half”

Character’s Name	Actor’s Name
Lily	Elisabeth Shue
Renn	Nick Jonas
Leigh	Brittany Snow
Darren	Matt Walsh
Rick	David Arquette
Zoey	Alexandra Shipp

Lily

Lily was a mother to two and an ex-wife to one, and she would have been the ex-wife to two if Renn had his way. But, with being born, raised, and feeling perhaps stuck in Cleveland and going through cancer, Lily’s didn’t have the time nor heart to divorce Rick. Instead, she focused on her work as a teacher, her family, and trying to kick cancer’s ass.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Boys: Season 1.”

Renn

28-year-old Renn has been known and pushed to be a writer for most of his life. He even went out to Los Angeles to make a career out of it. However, like his sister, he hides how life is really going for he doesn’t, refuses, to return to Cleveland with his tail tuck between his legs.

• The actor is also known for their role in “GOAT.”

Leigh

Leigh is the one who was Lily’s second choice, and while she accepted this for a good part of her life, when Lily got sick, she got the chance to step up. I wouldn’t say this healed their relationship, but it gave Leigh a chance, even if it was the bad half of who she knew her mom to be, to hold memories with her mom she could hold onto whenever her absence was felt.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Christmas With The Campbells.”

Darren

Darren is Lily’s first husband, father to her kids, who is a bit of a square. One could submit, him being so stable yet boring is why Lily and him weren’t together when she died.

• The actor is also known for their role in “The Perfect Date.”

Rick

Rick is Lily’s widow, who is a piece of work.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets.”

Zoey

Zoey is a therapist and a recent divorcee who loves karaoke and has taken a liking to Renn.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Tick, Tick… Boom!“

Content Information

• Dialog: Cursing
• Violence: N/A
• Sexual Content: Implied Nudity (Shower Scene)
• Miscellaneous: Drinking

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

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Highlights

Leigh’s Relationship With Lily

While we get to know Lily and see many of the highlights that Renn has had with her since he was a child, Leigh makes it clear that a lot of that was foreign to her. Leigh is very much like her dad and after the end of that marriage, it seemed Leigh was the collateral damage. Lily loved Leigh but didn’t foster meaningful time with her, and you can see how that weighed on her, but when Lily got sick, Leigh was able to step up as Renn stayed out in Los Angeles and Rick checked out.

How this is touched upon and explored allows Lily not to be this perfect and pristine person. You’re reminded that, while she was a good person, she had flaws as a mother, and while the film doesn’t dig deep into her part in the failure of her first marriage and puts all of the blame of why her second marriage sucked on Rick, it’s through Leigh that we get a three-dimensional view of who Lily really was, alongside the occasional story from Renn, that implied Lily wasn’t a people person – and also a bit of a thief.

Granted, it was an inside joke between her and Renn, but a small-time thief nonetheless.

Renn and Zoey Are Cute

Yes, Renn is mourning his mother, dealing with his estranged relationship with his sister, and awkward relationship with his dad. However, Nick Jonas more so shines as a love interest than he does as a dramatic actor. His charm holds far more value than him being a young man who lost the first love of his life. Add in Zoey isn’t two-dimensional but has her own stuff going on, and you can see Renn and Zoey’s relationship as an alternative so that, even if you don’t think Jonas’ dramatic performance is a highlight, you can’t outright damn him since he can still tap into being a heartthrob through his scenes with Shipp.

On The Fence

Darren and Rick Who Feel Like Comic Relief

Both Matt Walsh and David Arquette feel out of place and create far too many, it’s awkward because it’s funny, than awkward since the last person they romantically loved just died. For Walsh in particular, from the beginning, almost every line seems to be made to be a low-key joke that may play well to a certain audience but can feel very hokey and forced if you are someone who has seen films like this, especially those which handles the subject matter better.

Then, when it comes to David Arquette? The problem with him is that he is an average actor cast to play a character who feels far more bland than he should be. Rick should be someone we love to hate, who was a bad husband, terrible step-father, but potentially had a relationship with Lily that helps you understand why he is the way he is.

Now, to give Arquette some leeway, it could be how the character was written. I wouldn’t say they were written to Arquette’s strengths. But, at the same time, while there is no denying there is a reason Arquette has been working for over 30 years in the business, his performance as Rick does push the idea that while he is likable, his ability to perform a dramatic role is limited.

General Information

Film Length	1 Hour 36 Minutes
Date Released	July 23, 2024
How To Watch	Theatrical | Official Site
Distributor	Utopia
Director(s)	Robert Schwartzman
Writer(s)	Brett Ryland
Genre(s)	Comedy Drama Romance Young Adult
Content Rating	Not Rated