Sigourney Weaver delivers a stellar performance as Hildy Good, a realtor in an idyllic New England town, whose wickedly funny tongue and seeming success mask her life’s one dark truth: She enjoys her wine a bit too much. But Hildy’s good at keeping it together – until, that is, a rekindled romance with high school flame Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline) sets in motion a chain of events that forces a decades-in-the-making confrontation with Hildy’s buried past. Based on the best-selling novel, The Good House is a multifaceted portrait of a proud, resilient woman who wouldn’t think of asking for help…and whose life won’t change until she does.
For thoughts on The Good House, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/F23oOqWKYDM?t=1414]
Video Quality
Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings The Good House to Blu-Ray with an enjoyable 1080p video presentation in its original 1.85:1. As you move through this world, you are treated to a grand amount of depth on display, especially against the expanses of water and within Hildy’s house. The production design and the fabrics of the clothing provide really clear textural details. The film has a few splashes of colors within some of the clothing and nature itself, but the color palette leans to the cooler side of the spectrum. The bright whites of a few of the interiors show no signs of blooming, and the black levels are deep and with no discernible digital noise. There is a small amount of banding against certain gradients, but it is not a persistent issue. Flesh tones are natural with a grand amount of detail present in close-ups. Lionsgate has delivered a rock solid presentation for this one.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a favorable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that accomplishes everything it needs to do. Dialogue is the most prominent feature of the film, and it always comes through clearly without being challenged by any competing sounds. Kinetic sequences are in short supply, but the environmental sounds of the town and specific interiors engage the surround speakers in a nifty way. Ambient sounds of the water are precisely placed in the rear channels. The score in the film comes through the speakers with perfect fidelity. The movie is pretty light when it comes to the low end response, but it adds a bit of texture to certain moments. The audio track embodies this world exactly as it needs to. There are optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Co-Directors and Co-Writers Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky provide a decent commentary track in which they discuss their relationship with the source material, what drew them to this main character, working with Sigourney Weaver, shooting on location, the casting of the characters, the challenges faced during shooting, the design of this fictional town and more.
- Behind The Scenes Photo Gallery: A two-and-a-half minute collection of stills is provided here.
- Trailer: A two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Good House has the marketing of a much lighter film, but once you get acclimated to what it is actually going for there are some rewarding elements. It is so great to see Sigourney Weaver in top form with material that allows her to show her range. Her performance is by far the highlight of this endeavor, but the movie around her is solid. The specifics of the narrative are not groundbreaking, but the execution is engaging enough and it elevates itself above a ridiculous Lifetime melodrama. There are some very dark elements in this one, but it is worth a look if you know what you are getting into. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a couple of decent special features. If you are a fan of the performers, you should have a decent time. Recommended
The Good House is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
