The unexpected ringing of a phone in the dead of night rarely carries with it anything positive. This harsh truth is discovered by the titular character, Andy Goodrich, played by Michael Keaton, in the LA-set comedy-drama “Goodrich” by “Home Again” writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer. When his wife calls him in the stifling silence of the early hours, the flustered and out-of-the-loop husband (who failed to notice she was missing from their shared marital bed) is informed that she’s booked herself into a Malibu rehab facility. Not only has she left him in charge of their nine-year-old twin children for the next three months, but she also bluntly announces that she plans to divorce him once she’s released.
Michael Keaton, with his woeful stare, prominent eyebrows, and signature enigmatic resonance, brings an air of subtlety to this powerful and well-crafted introduction. It’s a demonstration of how adept this aged actor is at tackling roles that focus on everyday life issues, much as he’s accomplished in his playful portrayal of “Beetlejuice”. This beginning serves as one of the best examples of Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s screenplay for “Goodrich”. Meyers-Shyer, a namesake of the famous filmmaking couple Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, initiates the narrative with an intriguing synopsis that hooks the viewer into the forthcoming engaging storyline.
As we explore Andy’s escalating efforts to comprehend the gravity of his current situation, we begin to realize that he’s fallen short as both a husband and a father. This includes his relationship with his young twin children, Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Mose (Jacob Kopera), and his strained relationship with Grace (engagingly portrayed by Mila Kunis), a daughter from his first marriage who is now expecting. Andy’s priorities have always swayed towards his career as a gallery owner, leaving him clueless about his wife’s addiction problems and even mixing up his children’s names. It seems that everyone else in his life was aware of his wife’s pill addiction long before him.
The quality of “Goodrich” ‘s writing sees significant variances following this engaging introduction. Scenes start appearing like small episodes – some being skillfully converted while others flat and cliched – showing an uneven handling by Meyers-Shyer’s script. Essentially, her story feels like it’s appreciating the essence of ensemble-led domestic films (think a more mature version of “We Bought a Zoo”) and highlighting the importance of familial bonds and community support groups in helping Andy find his place amidst the multiple roles he is expected to fulfil. Unfortunately, the film’s drifting demeanor mutes “Goodrich” ‘s noble vision, stirring cravings for a more streamlined narrative with better pacing.
The film thus frequently seems tedious and calls for more concise montages, akin to many Shyer-Meyers films, like “Baby Boom.” The overabundance of material here diminishes the film’s humor and sentimentality, despite many of the story’s characters being vibrant and layered. However, they often spill over into being unnaturally penned.
Young Billie, played flawlessly by Blair, is poorly characterized with a profoundly precocious childish vocabulary and behaviors. To illustrate, she cheekily retorts to her father’s criticism of her incessant use of the word “like” with, “Dad, if you don’t want me to talk like I live in LA, then don’t raise me in LA.” Thankfully, the better scripted Grace serves as a contrast to this oversight, providing assistance to the out-of-his-depth Andy with the twins’ chores and moral support for dealing with his swanky art gallery’s mounting financial troubles. Reinforcing a lighter note in the movie, Terry (Michael Urie), a recently single aspiring actor and father struggling with his husband’s departure, becomes part of Andy’s circle of friends.
A significant part of “Goodrich” ‘s plot explores Andy’s struggle to win over the estate of a deceased Black artist to prevent his beloved gallery from closing. The estate is now managed by the artist’s New Age feminist daughter, Lola, portrayed by the charismatic Carmen Ejogo. This battle occurs in tandem with Andy’s efforts to improve his relationship with the worthy-of-doubt Grace, who never had a father figure as present as the one Billie and Mose now enjoy. Meyers-Shyer’s script is precise and articulate about Grace’s relatable disappointments. Despite everything, Grace still assists her father in his last-ditch efforts to save his career while dealing with her pregnancy and uncertain future in entertainment journalism. An impeccable depiction of Grace’s gratifying marriage to Pete (Danny Deferrari) by the writer-director results in one of the most beautiful marital harmony scenes since Pixar’s “Up.”
Sadly, Meyers-Shyer’s precision doesn’t extend to other parts of the film. The staff at Andy’s gallery are introduced via several disjointed scenes, leading to a lack of emotional cohesiveness. Her sporadic comic-relief treatment of Terry borders on an overused gay-best-friend trope, and the Lola storyline seems like a protracted plot tool constructed to aid Andy’s self-discovery. While it’s refreshing to see a strong Black woman fearless in expressing and demanding her worth, Lola’s abrupt and harsh exit from the story feels forced.
On balance, “Goodrich” is a rollercoaster of highs and lows, much like Andy’s own life, engaging the viewer by hinting at a better film that it could be, but never quite gets there.
Credit: variety.com
