Writer / director India Donaldson’s thoughtful and perceptive “Good One” is a coming-of-age journey with a staunchly feminine viewpoint. It’s a story about maturity (and lack thereof) told from the vantage point of a queer teenager who is slowly finding her footing in the male-dominated world.
On a weekend camping trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias, in a terrific performance) must deal with the competing egos of her father Chris (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend Matt (Danny McCarthy). She is the glue that holds things together, and a lot of placed on her shoulders. Over the course of their backpacking adventures, Sam learns that families are not only a source of love, but also provide a lot of disappointment and earned mistrust.
Donaldson’s storytelling is slow and deliberate, and it requires a lot of patience to sit through. There are a lot of scenes of hiking and pretty landscapes combined with staring off into nature, which is contemplative but also a bit boring. This story could’ve been told just as well in a short film, and it’s a shame that making it feature length means it’s far too draggy. This is a movie where very little happens, at least externally. The major transformation takes place within Sam herself.
Donaldson’s writing is smartly observant, especially the shifting relationship between Sam and her dad. She’s much wiser than the two men and spends most of the trip holding down the fort in more ways than one. Sam’s own father is clueless and out of touch with his daughter, and her constant need to keep the peace is lost on her older male companions.
The film is permeated with an uncomfortable tension between Sam, Chris, and Matt, especially as she begins to pick up on some unspoken aggressions and overwhelming feelings of failure that cuts like a knife when her dad and friend are together. It’s almost as if Sam is moderating a rapidly eroding friendship between two adults who really need it. Eventually, the role reversal is complete as Sam’s maturity and growth is finally (if reluctantly) accepted by her dad.
“Good One” is a smart relationship story with a great concept. It’s not highly entertaining in its execution, though, and is understated to a fault. It isn’t highly entertaining, but Donaldson certainly has a lot to say.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 