The Good Girl

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The Good Girl

R

Released Aug 7, 2002

1h 33m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

159 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Justine (Jennifer Aniston) is the good girl. Thirty years old and working in a Texas discount store, she is dissatisfied by her routine and disgusted by her lazy, pot-smoking husband. Her life is nearly at a standstill, until she suddenly notices Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal) a few cash registers away. He is young and seemingly as disaffected as she, and together the two forge a passionate connection destined to shatter everything Justine stands for, or at least thinks she does.

Critics Consensus

A dark dramedy with exceptional performances from Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal, The Good Girl is a moving and astute look at the passions of two troubled souls in a small town.

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Bill Stamets

Chicago Reader

...this is hardly Flaubert, but it is a fairly beguiling look at moral calculation...

May 7, 2021

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Christy Lemire

Associated Press

"The Good Girl'' will finally make Jennifer Aniston a movie star.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 12, 2018

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David Rooney

Variety

A warmly satisfying comedy about dissatisfied people seeking to escape from the personal prison of their mundane lives in soulless suburbia.

Mar 31, 2009

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Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

The film is unexpectedly chewy, following a rather tender and unpredictable route up to the very end.

Dec 9, 2021

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Arteta's third feature is good step in the right direction, for him as a disrector and for Jennifer Anniston as an actress

Rated: B

Jun 7, 2011

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Jennifer Aniston is excellent in what is the best performance of her career, yet.

Apr 29, 2009

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Diane S

A really different kind of role for Jennifer Aniston. John C. Reilly and Jake Gyllenhaal were great too. Mike White’s script was involving as well. Worth a watch!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/24

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Uynga U

very good movie like it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/24/24

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Bahad j

It was a really good movie. Very instructive. I really liked it. I will watch it again later.Also, I really like the small details of the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/23/24

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Thegoodeg

The film is a tour de force for Aniston. She was terrific in a dramatic part. I'll admit, I didn't know she had it in her.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

Full Review

dave e

This film was good and Jennifer is a great actress. All of the acting was great as well as the story. Southern people live differently and this is a tale of just being dumb at times.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/24

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KB B

Based on the favorable review I expected much better. It's pretty disappointing and I'd never want to watch it again.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

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Miguel Arteta

Director

Jennifer Aniston

Justine Last

Jake Gyllenhaal

Holden Worther

John C. Reilly

Phil Last

Tim Blake Nelson

Bubba

Zooey Deschanel

Cheryl

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Synopsis

Justine (Jennifer Aniston) is the good girl. Thirty years old and working in a Texas discount store, she is dissatisfied by her routine and disgusted by her lazy, pot-smoking husband. Her life is nearly at a standstill, until she suddenly notices Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal) a few cash registers away. He is young and seemingly as disaffected as she, and together the two forge a passionate connection destined to shatter everything Justine stands for, or at least thinks she does.

Director: Miguel Arteta
Producer: Matthew Greenfield
Screenwriter: Mike White
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Flan de Coco Films, Myriad Pictures
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Pervasive Language|Strong Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 2002, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jan 7, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.0M
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround