neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Good Girl
	Miguel Arteta Jennifer Aniston, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zooey Deschanel, John Carroll Lynch, Deborah Rush, Mike White 2002		If it did nothing more, "The Good Girl" would be notable for providing a commendable showcase for the seldom-heralded acting skills of Jennifer Aniston, mostly known for her ditzy, vulnerable character Rachel on the TV sitcom "Friends." The movie, a dark melange of comic characters and tragic predicaments, comes from director Miguel Arteta and screenwriter Mike White, the unhinged minds behind the disturbing "buddy" film "Chuck & Buck." Under their guidance, "The Good Girl" is a brackishly funny look at monotonous lives falling apart in a small Texas town. Justine (the believably drab Aniston) is a bored, unhappy wife who works as a retail clerk. She's flattered by the attentions of a young co-worker (Jake Gyllenhaal) with emotional problems. And why not? Her husband (John C. Reilly) is a house painter who wastes his nights smoking weed and watching the tube with his sniveling sidekick (Tim Blake Nelson). But Justine is prone to bad choices that will haunt her. With zany Zooey Deschanel as a subversive salesgirl.