India Donaldson’s knockout debut is a character study that contrasts a teenager’s coming-of-age with her father’s midlife dilemmas
By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News
In writer-director India Donaldson’s striking debut, “Good One,” fresh-faced newcomer Lily Collias plays Sam, a 17-year-old who is somehow tasked with navigating the treacherous terrain of both the Catskills and the emotional wreckage of her father and his buddy. Spoiler: She’s not impressed.
What was supposed to be a joint hiking adventure with family friends—Sam (Collias), her father Chris (James Le Gros), his college pal Matt (Danny McCarthy), and Matt’s teenage son, Dylan—quickly devolves into a “let’s complain about everything that’s wrong with our lives” bitch session between a pair of middle-aged divorced dudes who probably shouldn’t be friends anymore. When Dylan bails at the last minute, Sam is left curled up in the backseat of the Subaru with Chris and Matt in the front, drowning in their own self-imposed disappointments. Though there’s a lot of history between the trio and Matt has always been like an uncle to Sam, the family dynamic feels precarious, like a house of cards.
Donaldson’s story unfolds with slow-building tension rather than overt plotting, but its effect is profound. At first, Sam is mildly enjoying the cross-generational bonding, but that soon changes as Chris and Matt blather on … and on … about ex-wives, work frustrations, and snotty kids. Despite a hint of eagerness to reconnect with her dad, who has conveniently forgotten how to be a present parent, Sam’s efforts go unnoticed. When he finally asks her if she’s excited about college, Sam calls him out on his bullshit. On the other hand, Matt is just a mess, lost in varying degrees of self-pity. The poor guy can’t even pack properly for a camping trip. He’s all blue jeans and junk food instead of a sleeping bag and water bottle. Between cooking their dinners, putting up tents, and cleaning dishes, Sam starts to notice how pathetic they are and tires of propping them up. It’s a lot of emotional labor that she never signed up for.
In just 90 minutes, Donaldson crafts an engrossing three-person character study that obliterates these sadsacks while portraying Sam’s quiet resilience. One of the most telling moments comes when Sam, dealing with her period, sneaks off behind trees to take care of business while the guys wait, oblivious to her needs. This small but significant detail marks her transition into womanhood and starkly contrasts with the men’s existential troubles. Growing up is hard for everyone. Even when you’re 50.
Like Jennifer Lawrence’s breakout performance in the indie hit “Winter’s Bone,” there’s an unadorned rawness in Collias’ work. She captures Sam’s silent frustration and budding self-awareness with a subtlety that makes you wonder how she manages to convey so much with just a look or a gesture. Her naturalistic performance anchors the film, guiding us from the beginning to the end, where we see a young woman emerge from the forest with a new, more complex view of the world. Keep an eye on Collias; she’s one to watch.
As the miles tick by, the emotional terrain grows more unsettling. Without giving too much away, a pivotal moment hits like a freight train. It’s a scene so powerful I had to rewind the screener several times to make sure I caught every word. The gut punch, though, is Chris’s reaction to his daughter and her realization that her father is just an ordinary, flawed guy. This revelation is both devastating and liberating; it’s the moment when Sam steps out of the backseat and takes control of her own narrative. What she does next is a thing of beauty.
‘Good One’
Rated: R for language
Cast: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy
Director/Writer: India Donaldson
Runtime: 89 minutes
Where to watch: Coolidge Corner Theatre starting Aug. 16
Grade: A-
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