A Good Person

''A Good Person'' is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Zach Braff. The film stars Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O'Connor, Molly Shannon, and Chinaza Uche.

''A Good Person'' was released in the United States on a limited theatrical release on March 24, 2023, before a wide expansion on March 31, 2023, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film received a mixed response from critics.

Plot

Allison is an aspiring musician, engaged to her high school boyfriend, Nathan. The day following their engagement party, Allison gets into a car accident while driving with her eyes off the road, killing Nathan's sister Molly and Molly's husband, and sustains critical injuries.

One year later, dealing with severe depression and unable to deal with her guilt, Allison lives with her mother, Diane, who attempts to curb her daughter's addiction to pain pills. Meanwhile, Nathan and Molly's ex-cop father, Daniel, is taking care of his granddaughter, Ryan, who is still processing the loss of her parents.

After failing to get drugs illicitly from her friend, Becka, and after a humiliating encounter with two high school acquaintances that leads her into a downward spiral, Allison joins an AA group. There, she unexpectedly encounters Daniel, who reveals in a meeting that his drinking resulted in repeated blackouts where he wouldn't remember his violent behavior, and that on one such occasion, he destroyed the hearing in Nathan's ear. Ryan, in her turn, is bullied for her status as an orphan and in trouble for her behavior.

Allison meets Daniel at his house, and while leaving, she is confronted by Ryan about Allison's direct responsibility for her parents’ deaths. Allison eventually relapses. Ryan invites her, as well as Nathan, who brings his new paralegal girlfriend, to a concert. Allison is devastated at what she perceives as a cruel act by Ryan and accompanies her to an after-party where she relapses again. Allison is unable to protect Ryan from being taken advantage of in a back room, but Daniel arrives drunk and puts an end to it, threatening Ryan’s rapist with a handgun. During the altercation, Nathan steps in front of the gun and talks his father down from his relapsed state. Outside, Daniel confesses that he considered Allison a test from God, but now realizes she's a waste and insults her before hailing a cab.

After accepting her role in the accident, Allison is able to move toward recovery and checks herself into a rehab centre. A year later, Allison is writing songs again, and she and Nathan reacquaint themselves. Daniel passes away, leaving Ryan in Nathan's care until she leaves for college, and Allison attends the funeral where she discovers Daniel's letter to her explaining his thoughts and that the Latin translation of his tattoo "amor fati" is "to love one's fate". After the wake, Ryan and Allison embrace sitting on the front door stoop.

Cast

Other appearances include Drew Gehling as Max, Jessie Mueller as Sandra Keen, Shirley Rumierk as Dr. Gonzalez, Cary Brothers as himself, Charlene Kaye as bassist, and Jackie Hoffman as Belinda.

Production

On February 26, 2021, it was reported Zach Braff would write and direct ''A Good Person'', a drama starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. By March 2021, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was in negotiations to acquire the rights to the film in territories including North and Latin America, Scandinavia, Russia, Eastern Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam in a multimillion-dollar deal. In September 2021, it was confirmed MGM would be producing and distributing the film, with Molly Shannon joining the cast, and Braff and Pugh set to produce.

In July 2021, when asked if he would go back to directing feature films, Braff said "I'd like to do more. I just kind of, for better, for worse, I just go where the wind takes me ... and then the pandemic happened and I wrote this screenplay. And then that came together with Florence ughand Morgan Freeman". Principal photography began in October 2021, with Celeste O'Connor, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Chinaza Uche joining the cast. In November 2021, filming took place at Columbia High School, Braff's alma mater, in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Music

Release

It was released on limited release on March 24, 2023, with wide expansion from March 31, 2023. The film had its red carpet premiere at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on March 8, 2023. The film was released on Blu-ray on May 30.

Reception

Box office

''A Good Person'' made $2.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $890,791 around the rest of the world, grossing a worldwide total of $3.1 million.

In limited release, the film grossed $832,007 at the box office from 530 theatres, finishing in 12th place. The film had a wide expansion on March 31 alongside '' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves'', '' A Thousand and One'' and '' His Only Son'', and grossed $510,210 at the box office, expanding 687 theatres and finishing 14th place beaten up by '' Champions'' (2023) (in a record of $700,000).

Critical response

Recognition

Cary Brothers and Scott Effman received a nomination for Best Original Song in an Independent Film at the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Chinaza Uche was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Film.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Good Person, A
2023 drama films
2023 films
2020s English-language films
American drama films
Films directed by Zach Braff
Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Films shot in New Jersey
Films produced by Christine Vachon
Killer Films films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
2020s American films
Films scored by Bryce Dessner