The Good Half

Jonas does well - but the Good Half doesn't dive into either half of his mom's life. Som the whole thing is just...meh

It was pretty good. I’m fed up with all the action movies. It’s sometimes nice to watch a film that’s just pure acting. No CGI. I’d recommend.

I’m confused. Wasn’t this movie already made? It was called Elizabethtown and it was a Cameron Crowe film with Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom. It was darling with excellent music and far superior than this garbage. I’m so annoyed with Hollywood no longer being truly creative and just remaking the same stories only semi-differently and in wildly sub-par ways. How did No One point this out when the movie was being made?? Also, if I hear yet another reimagined cover of an overplayed 80s song used in a trailer, I’m gonna scream. Do better. Moral of the story: even right down to its stupid trailer this film is a copycat of something else that was already once created vastly better. Robby Carmine, you’re out of your element. You were very much around when Elizabethtown was popular so don’t say you don’t remember it. Shoulda stuck to your band, ya peaked back then.

I couldn't even finish it. Melodramatic going nowhere. I mad I wasted an hour of my life on this.

It was a pretty average movie at the least

"Nick Jonas can't act, he doesn't convey or connect with the character. The movie was really boring."

Loved this! Made me laugh, made me cry, I felt very connected to these characters. It’s refreshing to watch a movie and find yourself still thinking about it the next day and that’s what this did.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a young man who returns home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while healing old ones, before confronting his problems and trying to face his grief. The film was directed by Robert Schwartzman. Writing credits go to Brett Ryland. I had to say goodbye to 3 of my parents in 3 months last year, so this movie hit me hard. With all of the funeral and estate decisions that needed to be made, it was like we didn’t have time to grieve. Just when I think I’m doing okay, the tears come again. That grieving process is no joke! We all grieve differently and take different amounts of time to emotionally respond to what happened. THINGS I LIKED: Congratulations to Nick Jonas! He did a great job showing emotional range, and we even get to hear him sing a little bit. Elisabeth Shue looks amazing. When is she going to start aging? Everyone in the cast did a fantastic job including Brittany Snow (I loved her in the Pitch Perfect franchise), Matt Walsh, David Arquette, Steve Park, and Alexandra Shipp. The dialogue is witty and entertaining. The title is perfect, as it refers to life with a loved one before they died (the good half) and wondering if life will ever feel the same again afterwards (the bad half). Another layer of the title is how the favorite child got the “good half” of the mother while the other child got the bad half. There is a timeline that jumps back and forth. It slowly shows us the tender relationship between the mother and son. We feel like we know her much better than the priest who delivers her eulogy at the funeral. The film did a great job showing how people grieve differently. Fun fact: While the story takes place in Cleveland, Ohio, the movie was actually filmed in New Jersey and Los Angeles. The movie illustrates the complexities of losing a loved one with honesty and humor. The movie doesn’t end with everything tied up in a neat bow, but it does offer hope. A friend of mine just recently had to say goodbye to her dying mother. She shared with me that she’s having trouble adjusting to the “new normal.” I told her that the “new” normal will never feel normal. I think of my parents every day, tears still flow, and I see them in the mirror more and more often as I’m aging. But there is a feeling of hope, and the movie illustrates that perfectly. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE: The subject matter is dark and depressing. Not everyone will be up for watching this. If you’ve recently lost a loved one, this might be too much for you to watch right now. TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be extremely bored. Profanity, including F-bombs The mother constantly steals things from restaurants To see my full review, go to my Movie Review Mom YouTube channel!

Thoroughly enjoyed this film. There was lots to admire, but the writing stole the show! While it was a tough subject to make enjoyable, he sure did it.

This was a little gem of a movie. Nick Jonas did such a good job playing his character, his facial expressions and acting were so good, you could feel the pain underneath the skin of his character. The bathroom scene with the mom…:(:( Elizabeth Shue was good too! I dunno what the professional critics are saying. Watch it. Got it? Get it? Good!