Review: Movie star muse Florence Pugh makes ‘A Good Person’ unmissable

Written and directed by Zach Braff, A Good Person eloquently explores love, loss, and personal redemption. 

Due to hit select theaters from Mar. 24, this film rests squarely on the slender shoulders of Florence Pugh (The Wonder), who first breathes life into Allison at her own engagement party alongside future husband Nathan (Chinaza Uche). 

With sister-in-law Molly (Nichelle Hines) and her husband Jesse (Toby Onwumere) amongst those assembled, Pugh quickly gets beneath the skin of this bride-to-be, declaring her undying love for Nathan through song; an approach which cleverly introduces audiences to an A-list acting talent being given free rein to create a character which anchors events going forward. Not only establishing tone effortlessly but raising the question of why Braff has made so few forays into feature films.  

Following that concise opening, which brings these characters together in a moment of genuine celebration, the writer/director sends her into shock, following a tragic car accident in which she is the only survivor. With would-be in-laws riding shotgun and Allison behind the wheel, everything positive is instantly stripped away. 

From that point on, A Good Person is about Allison’s redemption, which has more to do with her acceptance of the situation, than any amount of blame she might harbor for surviving when others did not. Pugh is pivotal in selling this emotional transition out of trauma, as much as Braff is responsible for putting a compassionate pen to paper in shaping these fictional characters.  

Where this film also comes alive is in the casting of Morgan Freeman as Daniel. A grandfather who is left to raise his grand daughter Ryan (Celeste O’Connor), following the passing of her mother Molly in the crash. However, only when Allison and Daniel reconnect through a support group, and begin reconciling their feelings towards each other, does it truly morph into something special.  

Gripped by an addiction to opioids, following a year of Oxycontin prescriptions – Allison is a mess. Separated from Nathan, at odds with her mother Diane (Molly Shannon), and doing YouTube makeovers in the morning, she is trapped in a solitary routine. A state which is both tragic and oddly comic in the hands of Pugh, who is never short of charm even in this sorry state.  

Once Allison ventures out into the world and seeks help above and beyond tutorials, this is where her real journey begins, as she encounters anger on all fronts. From Daniel, who still clings to his grief as a form of defense, through to Ryan, who sees Allison as the person solely responsible for denying her a mother and father. 

These might seem like cliched scenarios bereft of originality, but in the hands of Braff and his supremely talented ensemble, A Good Person proves to be both perceptive and emotionally engaging, a fact which is aided by the central performance of an actor who seems capable of doing almost anything on screen.  

Similar in subject matter to the Mila Kunis movie Four Good Days, which dealt with addiction in relation to a dysfunctional mother daughter relationship, A Good Person does something which mirrors that in subtler ways. Where Kunis and Glenn Close were constantly at loggerheads within a confined space, Pugh and Shannon are defined in different terms. 

There is a lightness of touch in the latter movie, which has other things beyond the continual grind of addiction to focus on. Moments of withdrawal from Oxycontin are still handled with respect, in terms of the palpable impact of the drug, but it serves as only one avenue of drama rather than a central theme.  

Thankfully, much is made of Allison’s journey towards recovery, which begins when Simone (Zoe Lister-Jones) agrees to sponsor her at an AA meeting. Through her connection with Daniel, Allison finds purpose again, and that is simply where this film is most effective.  

There will be people out there who criticize A Good Person for playing it safe, not going far enough into addiction, or saccharine coating this subject matter – but that would be selling it short. Each of Braff’s efforts as a writer and director possess something special, which no other film maker can accurately recreate. His view of the world is ultimately optimistic and seeks to see goodness in everyone, but there is no denying that creative vision. 

What his latest effort manages to put Pugh on a pedestal, coax compelling performances from all concerned, and remind audiences that given an opportunity Braff might actually be a better filmmaker than some give him credit for.