In peak Jennifer Aniston era, The Good Girl is an under the radar romantic drama that borders on obscurity and dour, though the performances are enough to keep the film afloat. However, even after watching the film I can't say I see myself agreeing with some of the plot decisions the film made and thus never fully connected with the story. The two leads, Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal, give fine performances as two people who are "put upon" by the world and can't seem to find their way. On that note, I'm not sure if with different leads this film this film could have been any better, but I found myself wanting a whole lot more emotionally from this film.5.7/10

Mostly memorable for Jennifer Aniston's lead performance, 'The Good Girl' offers the Golden Globe actress perhaps her finest acting hour, cast here as an unhappily married store clerk who sees life passing her by. The promise of something new, exciting and different comes in the form of a much younger coworker who fancies her, but is there really a possible 'happily ever after' scenario for them? And does she really love him or simply what he represents with his championing of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and ramblings about defying social norms? Their affair eventually leads to a fork in the road in which Aniston is forced to make a choice and her decision, while perplexing at first, seems simply inevitable in retrospect. The film is well acted by not only Aniston, but also a stellar supporting cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Zooey Deschanel, 'Zodiac''s John Carroll Lynch, John C. Reilly and Tim Blake Nelson, and yet, the film does not quite have the same effect upon revision. The script relies heavily on elements of surprise for impact and none of the twists (other than Aniston's choice at end) have that much power once one knows they are coming. The philosophical voice over narration also seems to spell about a bit too much, especially concerning Nelson's character, upon revision. Aniston's internal strife resonates either way though, and her down-to-earth performance ensures that the film is engaging the whole through. 'The Good Girl' might not be a flawless film, however, if nothing else it will make you think twice before eating blackberries again!

This is an ill-fated attempt by Hollywood to make a "European" movie about a "Sartresque" issue, the (non)sense of life. It poses some interesting questions, but it is not dark enough, it cannot escape from the endemic US optimism that creeps up every now and then, even in such a film. Thanks god, such things are much better left to Europeans, Hollywood should go on doing what it is best at... Great entertainment!On a surprisingly positive note, Jennifer Aniston is great in her role, one would never have expected she can actually do a 'serious' role (no disrespect intended)... As one critic put it, 'Her performance is forceful and effective'. I could not agree more.

I didn't really know anything about the concept for this independent film, I think it was the cast that was appealing to me. Basically young married Justine Last (Jennifer Aniston) has her her mundane life taking a turn when she begins a passionate and illicit affair with fellow discount store worker Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal). She has said to herself she hates living with husband Phil (John C. Reilly) and his friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson) who constantly get high and drunk. Things get complicated when Justine has to deal with the death of co-worker and friend Gwen Jackson (American Pie: The Wedding's Deborah Rush), and Holden starts drinking and stealing because of the lack of seeing Justine. Also Bubba finds out about the affair and blackmails her into sex, and Justine gets pregnant, and with the reveal of a low sperm count, Phil has the truth told too. In the end, Holden commits suicide, and Justine accepts living her life with Phil and the new baby girl. Also starring Elf's Zooey Deschanel as Cheryl, Mike White as Corny and Volcano's John Carroll Lynch as Your Store Manager Jack Field. Aniston does surprisingly well in this quite serious role, and the supporting cast, especially Deschanel, all make the characters much more likable than possible the story, which is does seem more dramatic than comedic, but a good film nonetheless. Worth watching!