At this point, Sigourney Weaver has nothing left to prove. A crusading female action hero, funny Bill Murray foil and Oscar winner, Weaver has crafted an excellent career for herself, showing a cadre of acting chops across various genres of film. The Good House is at this point just icing on Sigourney’s cake, but it proves again that when give the chance, Weaver can make everything she stars in better by simply being involved.
After an intervention by her daughters Emily (Molly Brown) and Tess (Rebecca Henderson) and forced rehab, Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver) is ready to resume her life in fictional North Shore Massachusetts Wendover. Hildy insists she’s not an alcoholic after the rehab, only casually drinking to fit into her role in the community as a realtor/socialite. As the pressures of life start to weigh on her, or pressures of others like neighbors Rebecca (Morena Baccarin) and Peter (Rob Delaney), Hildy takes up drinking again, but sticking to strict rules so she doesn’t spiral out of control. She also rekindles a connection with her first love, Frank (Kevin Kline), much to the chagrin of Hildy’s daughters who fear mom backsliding into old habits.
Wendover (somewhere in Canada) is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen on film. Shot over all seasons but especially in Fall, what looks like north shore Mass is a stunning serene landscape of arbor colors and sea blues. Even the adorable town and man made homes, even the fixer uppers, give the movie this sense of calm gorgeous dignity, much like our protagonist. And that sense of calm nicely juxtaposes with Wendover’s other little feature: it’s small town nature. All the behavior boils underneath the surface here; seemingly nice people like Rebecca or Hildy’s former assistant Wendy (Kathryn Erbe) are full of pleasantries and good vibes. But when Hildy isn’t around, or times get tough, the uglier parts of her townspeople come out, and Hildy has to take it or risk causing a scene. That’s a lot of pain to bear and put up a dignified facade for; no wonder The Good House might have a hidden wine selection for Hildy to tap into when she can’t take it anymore.
That means it’s up to Sigourney Weaver to carry this movie for long stretches by herself. Hildy Good is a well deserved showy role for Weaver, giving us the full picture of this complicated woman. Through 4th wall breaking, Sigourney has Hildy tell the audience and her family one thing, while showing us something different, giving us layer upon layer of character development that The Good House sells its beachside property to. And when talented actors like Kevin Kline start showing up, Weaver namesakes them into the story as best she can. The scenes between Hildy and Frank have this charged frayed feel to them, because both have gotten past secrets to understand the real person behind them whereas all the other characters are missing that connection, even Hildy’s relationship with her daughters. Even when the third act gets too overdramatic, Sigourney Weaver has done such a wonderful sell job on The Good House that you’re probably gonna close on it anyway.
The movie industry always wants something young and fresh. The Good House is a reminder that maybe they could afford to spend a little money on movies set in beautiful small towns built around a great, but aging movie star. Before Sigourney Weaver stars in Ghostbusters 7 or Alien 21, just remember that she’s a way better actress than that, as evidenced by movies like this one. Then we can get the crossover, where Hildy unleashes an alien on Wendy’s real estate firm…but uh oh, it starts to take over Wendover too!