The Good House Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Good House Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 21, 2022

The Good House seems to have been willfully designed to garner awards ceremony recognition for Sigourney Weaver, and in that regard it's perhaps interesting to note that she's not even being mentioned in any number of "handicapping" articles that have been aggregating potential nominees. That may be even more telling because The Good House has been screening, at least at festivals, for well over a year now, though the fact that it looks like its United States premiere was this year (at another festival) I believe means that it has only now become eligible for things like Academy Awards or Golden Globes. The film is a showcase for Weaver's kind of patented blend of patrician steeliness mixed with an at times surprising vulnerability, and it certainly should sit well with older viewers in particular who probably understandably feel that "rom coms" featuring actors of a certain age are a rarity. Now, The Good House is most definitely not a "rom com" in the traditional sense, and in fact plies a somewhat melodramatic narrative in its dissection of a middle aged realtor named Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver). Hildy is, or at least was, in fact "good" at her job, but she's being challenged by a competitor and even worse she's developed a debilitating drinking problem.

The Good House was adapted from a novel by Ann Leary, and two of the adapters, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, also co-directed and are on hand also providing a commentary that is included as a supplement on this disc. They mention in the supplement how they both felt almost instantaneously upon reading Leary's tome that it would make a great movie, but the devil as they say is in the details, and there are an awful lot of "details" in this film, meaning its narrative energy can become diffused due to what are arguably too many competing subplots, all subsumed within the context of Hildy's "drinking problem". There are the challenges Hildy is facing in her career due to a former acolyte named Wendy (Kathryn Erbe), who is now busy stealing all of Hildy's clients. There's also some family dysfunctions at play revolving around Hildy and her kids, and just for good measure a potential rekindled love interest in local man Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline), a guy who has had some history with Hildy, as they say. Despite getting co-star status here, Kline is arguably just one of many supporting players in a large ensemble cast that also includes stalwarts like Beverly D'Angelo and David Rasche.

Tonally, The Good House seems to be at war with itself at times, offering Hildy regular chances to break the fourth wall and address the audience with various sarcastic asides, which give the story a snarky comic ambience. But then things get deadly serious in the second half of the film, with yet another subplot involving a supposedly secret affair between two other villagers that starts to spin the narrative into some odd nooks and crannies, including one particular element that plays like the alcoholic equivalent of a certain artifice in A Beautiful Mind. The Good House perhaps doesn't have the courage of its initial convictions in portraying Hildy as an "escapee" from intervention, and instead goes a much more traditional route of salvation and potential happily ever aftering that perhaps doesn't feel quite right given all that's gone before.

Note: My colleague Brian Orndorf was probably even less enthused about The Good House than I am. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

The Good House Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Good House is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. I haven't been able to find any authoritative technical information on the shoot, and as of the writing of this review the IMDb is offering no help, but this is nicely digitally captured outing that I assume was finished at 2K. The location photography is one of the undeniable assets of the film, and a lot of the outdoor material pops beautifully, with some gorgeously modulated blue and green tones in and around the waterways. Detail levels are routinely very good to excellent throughout the presentation, though I have to say it appears to me both Kline and Weaver may have been granted diffusion filters now and again, one assumes in an effort to erase the vicissitudes of time and tide. This is another Lionsgate release where there's noticeable banding in the opening production masthead, but no real problems in the actual feature.

The Good House Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Good House features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that frankly doesn't get a huge workout but which nonetheless is able to provide some noticeable surround activity in some of the outdoor material in particular. Theodore Shapiro's sometimes slightly odd score (what is up with that quasi-Native American theme music?) also provides some engagement of the side and rear channels. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Good House Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Writers / Directors Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky


• Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery: The Good House (HD; 2:25)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:27)

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

The Good House Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hey, handicappers are often wrong, and I for one would not be surprised to see Sigourney Weaver turn up as one of those "surprise" nominees, especially since this seems to be the kind of "career award" performance that is designed to garner such recognition. Weaver is easily the best thing about The Good House, a film which, kind of like Hildy herself, may have good intentions but isn't exactly sure how to get there. Technical merits are solid for those who may be considering making a purchase.