By Nick Adrian
Coming of age films are often momentous and reflective of the big life changes their subjects depict – think the go-to examples of John Hughes’ 80s work or even the Judd Apatow bro-comedies in the early 2000s. What writer/director India Donaldson brings in her debut film, though, is a quiet sincerity; an in-real-time revelation that more coincides with how these events play out in real life. These life-changing stages never feel too eventful, but their lasting effects do.
Her film Good One follows seventeen-year-old Sam (a career-starting turn from newcomer Lily Collias) accompanying her father Chris (James Le Gros) and his friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) on a weekend camping trip. Both men are still recovering from their respective divorces and are not sure how to handle their current familial situations – Matt’s son refuses to join them on the trip when he was originally slated to go, Chris is remarried to a much-younger woman who has given him a newborn. Sam has a girlfriend and a plan for college, but her problems never seem quite as important as the two dads’ midlife crises. As they navigate through the woods, Sam gradually realizes her role in the trip is more in the realm of caretaker than daughter, Matt even referring to her as the titular “good one” during a drunken moment.
Donaldson’s film is slow and delicate; she takes time in the woods and never brings central conflict toward the front. This gives the film an uneasy edge throughout its relatively quick runtime, bringing to life the awkward feeling of the elephant of the room but never daring to dramatize it. She highlights the woman’s journey into adulthood: Sam does the majority of the packing, putting up and taking down the tent, cradling the two men’s fragile egos. It’s a coming of age story in a much realer sense – that slow realization that this is the direction the rest of your life is headed, no matter which path you’d like to turn down. She crafts this in a beautiful, serene light, letting the peaceful tranquility of nature take hold and almost lulling the audience into a sense of security. Just as we get comfortable, a new problem/conflict has presented itself.
Good One is playing at the Sidewalk Cinema September 6 – 12. Tickets are available at sidewalkfest.com/tickets.
