The Good Life

I saw this one at the AFI Dallas festival..The story of a young guy who has a very bad family environment, a medical condition and an attitude toward football, all of which serve to alienate him from his surroundings. He works at a gas station and helps out at an old movie theater. He tries to keep the bills paid at home, where he lives with his mother, but he doesn't always succeed. Stephen Berra, a pro skateboarder writes and directs, and from what he said after the movie, you'll be seeing more of his work. Mark Webber (Jesus' Son, Broken Flowers) stars with Zooey Deschanel (Trillian in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Harry Dean Stanton and Bill Paxton. Webber is very real and sympathetic and Zooey does a good job as the almost angelic and quite strange Frances. A moving, intimate film.

This is at its heart a story we've seen in movies many, many times, either as a primary or secondary plot: Mid-20s underachiever feels alienated and lacks true purpose in life while caught in a small town.

Jason (played my Mark Webber, a brilliant up-and-coming actor you will hear more and more about) suffers from a disease that makes him lose all his hair. He lives with his vulnerable mother, who keeps holding him back because she is unable to care for herself. He cannot connect with the rest of his awkward family. He works several low-paying jobs, including one at a theatre. The theatre's owner is mentally ill and so, Jason must also take care of him.

Throughout the duration of the film, we see him interact with other individuals, most of which are quirky, most of which seem just as alienated about this "good life" in Nebraska, with unrealized ambitions, broken dreams and broken lives.

This kind of synopsis might appeal to me if I hadn't seen it all before, several times. But where The Good Life redeems itself somewhat is in the execution. Stephen Berra has written organic, believable characters, starting with the protagonist Jason, who has to battle several issues including the legacy his father has left to him. There is a haunting theme throughout the movie that people around Jason have raised the white flag on a better life. Jason's father has done worse, abandoning all hope not only for himself but for his loved ones, inviting them to give up as well.

The other key character here is Frances, a role perfectly suited for the charming and quirky Zooey Deschanel. When Frances meet Jason, she becomes a catalyst for his renewed interest in fighting for his life. A true good life. But unlike the prototypical feel-good Hollywood movie, Frances is not just a device to allow Jason to go on to a better life. She is human and flawed and her sudden interest for our underachiever is complex like all real life relationships are.

And this is where I think this movie shines. The various people Jason meets and interacts with all seem to have their own problems. There is no wise sage around the corner waiting to selflessly give a hand. Selflessness might be the trait that most defines Jason. Underneath, he has all those aspirations, on the surface he neglects his true self while living a life he finds pointless.

And so to me, the movie is mostly successful in making you reexamine the mutuality of relationships, the duties we impose upon ourselves and our true motives. Is being selfless always a good and noble act?

If you enjoy indie dramas and the themes described above, you may enjoy The Good Life as I did.

Hell yes it's the new Donnie Dark, but the only problem is, it's a million times better. Mark Webber is unbelievable. UN-BE-LEIVABLE. I've been a fan of his since snow day. This movie is one of those movies in ten years every teenager will cite as being one of their favorite films. I guarantee that. I guarantee it. Jason Prayer (mark Webber's character) will be as famous as Donnie Darko. I attended the salt lake city screening of the movie and the crowd stood up and cheered when it was over. Steve Berra will be up there with any and every serious filmmaker that ever put an eye up to the camera. If you were looking for a new classic in modern day cinema and found the good life, I'd say you hit the jackpot. JP

Sad, poignant, and rich, this quiet film will give you a glimpse of the human condition from the unique voice of Stephen Berra who writes and directs. He has created something to be forever proud and for those of us that run across it over time on NetFlix (or like I did recently on The Movie Channel) to be thankful for.

The presence of wonderful actors including Harry Dean Stanton, Bill Paxton, and Zooey Deschanel should draw people to this film and the excellent acting and writing will hold them until its end.

Mark Webber is warm and believable as the young man stuck in a Nebraska town that is frigid both physically and existentially.

Zooey creates a memorable character and even briefly sings in this film which is always a delight. Give this one a try. It will not waste your time.

The story is about a small town and how life sucks for almost everyone. And we see a depiction of the various coping mechanisms - taking it with humor, the dire situation fueling aggression, escapism, acceptance and resilience. It's quite an interesting theme. Unfortunately the comparison between the different ways of handling life falls short and the focus lying solely on Webber's and Deschanel's character makes the movie one sided and weakens the whole premise. This and the attempt to give the movie a melancholic undertone makes it rather boring to watch. With less stereotyping of the other characters and a more in depth portrayal of them could have made the movie a really good one.

Overall: It's not bad and definitely worth watching on a lazy Sunday - it just doesn't live up to it's potential.