I'm a bit of a sucker for those films that slip under the radar, are produced on a low budget and don't have all the marketing glitz of so-called blockbuster movies. And so it is with the Good Half. Grief is an individual emotion and response that's often hard to articulate and depict on the screen without falling into cliches and mush. However the Good Half gives a worthy and considered account of what grief is like for 1 family and particularly the son, Renn Wheeland, played by Nick Jonas. With the death of his mother, he finds it difficult to express his emotions and plays it out through detachment and, at times aggression. Flashbacks of Renn with his mother during his childhood and later, add to his frustration at her passing. This is an ensemble cast and Renn's story is aided by well-balanced and convincing performances by his sister, Leigh, played by Brittany Snow and his mother Lily, played by Elisabeth Shue. Other cast members add to the well-crafted story. While the story moves along at a slow pace (as others have mentioned in reviews here) this only adds depth to the grief in the immediate aftermath of Lily's death. So be patient and watch through to the end and you'll be rewarded with a superb story of one family's response to the passing of one of their key members. Highly recommended.
