Movie Review: Goodrich (2024)

Genre: Dramedy  

Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer  

Starring: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis, Carmen Ejogo, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Pollack  
Running Time: 111 minutes  

Synopsis: Art gallery owner Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) is shocked when his second wife Naomi checks herself into rehab. Left alone to care for his young twin children, Andy seeks help from his grown daughter from his first marriage Grace (Mila Kunis). Now married and pregnant, Grace is resentful that Andy was an absentee father, but gradually their relationship thaws. With his business struggling and the future of his marriage unclear, Andy has a lot to juggle. 

What Works Well: This is a slightly updated but overall pleasingly old-fashioned character study, one man reassessing life's priorities as long-neglected paternal responsibilities rise to prominence. Andy and Grace navigate predictable but still engaging ups and downs, surrounded by a rich cast of interesting side characters, including a single gay dad (Michael Urie), the daughter (Carmen Ejogo) of a recently deceased artist, and Andy's ex-wife (Andie MacDowell). His perceptive youngest daughter Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) brightens every scene she's in.

What Does Not Work As Well: The sentimentality needle leans strongly to the right, leading to the queasiness of self-congratulatory excess. While Andy's often self-serving pronouncements (and inability to stop confusing the names of his daughters) hint at his shortcomings, he is never presented as anything other than a decent good guy. Grace's protestations and frustrations about a short-changed childhood are limited to tell, don't show, relegating her passive aggressiveness to the get-over-it classification. 

Key Quote:

Andy: If life isn't kicking your ass, it's not doing its job.

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