It’s been nearly two decades since Zach Braff charmed the world with Garden State. Since then, the world has opened up to his indie-friendly charm and charisma; heck, critics have even spun off tropes from it. But nothing says Garden State like a visit to the Garden State itself, and A Good Person takes us there in fine form.
In fact, it’s like a warm sweater. The kind of old favorite you break out every October when the weather begins to turn.
And the weather here is certainly turning – bleak; if you could put a word to it. And it’s going to take more than a dear old sweater to warm things up.
A Good Person
Who’s the good person? Is it the retired ex-cop (Morgan Freeman) just trying to navigate his teenage granddaughter’s life? Or is it the well-meaning daugher (Florence Pugh) who’s found herself in the driver’s seat of the worst possible accident ever? Both have substance abuse issues. And neither are particularly good at communicating either.
When the two accidentally collide at an AA meeting, all bets should be off.
Eventually, they will be.
Seems neither is a very good person. Then again, maybe both are. It all depends on where you draw the line.
Line is Drawn
Braff draws the line right through both lives. It’s not so much a fine line, as it is a black crevice. And it sucks in everyone in their orbit.
With the stakes as high as they are though, how could it do otherwise?
We’re talking deaths here (though we only really hear about one death). And that means facing those deaths, no matter who may or may not be at fault.
A Cautionary Tale
If anything, A Good Person is a cautionary tale about using your phone while driving. Where one millisecond of distraction can change many lives forever. If it works as such that would be remarkable. Heck, if it stops even a fraction of moviegoers from using their phone while driving, that’d be a huge plus.
It’s also another AA advocacy reel where every one of the 12 Steps gets to have their say. Oh, we don’t get to hear the Steps play out; but we do get to see them. Right up to practicing our principals in all our affairs.
All in all, if A Good Person can get folks to stop using their phones while driving and use the 12 Steps to get out of substance abuse, a whole lotta good can come about from this flick. We for one are wholeheartedly hoping it can!
If you or a loved one is having issues with substance abuse, please call Healing Properties. We’ve been helping men find sobriety since 2002; we’d be honored to help you too. Seriously.