The Good Girl **** (2002, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C Reilly, Deborah Rush) – Classic Movie Review 1742

Friends’ Jennifer Aniston grabs a welcome change of pace as Justine Last, a supermarket worker bored of her dead-end job, lazy husband Phil (John C Reilly) and small-town life finds herself drawn to a sullen, disaffected but kind and sweet youth called Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal). He is the discount store’s stock boy, who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield in J. D. Salinger’s 1951 classic novel of disaffected youth, The Catcher in the Rye.

Director Miguel Arteta’s intelligent, admirable, well-acted 2002 comedy drama proves thoughtful and involving entertainment. Aniston and Gyllenhaal really make something of their oddball, lost-soul characters.

Writer Mike White plays Corny and John Carroll Lynch stars as the Store Manager, Zooey Deschanel, Tim Blake Nelson and Deborah Rush also co-star.

White also wrote the screenplays for Chuck & Buck (2000), School of Rock (2003), Nacho Libre (2006) and Year of the Dog (2007).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1742

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