Grief is an emotion that we all will experience at some point in our lives. Whether it’s due to the loss of a parent, friend, or pet, sorrow is an inevitable part of the human experience. Though the way grief is processed tends to look differently for different people, all-out avoidance tends to cause more problems than intended. That’s the premise of Robert Schwartzman’s emotional dramedy, The Good Half. Schwartzman combines his personal experiences with Brett Ryland’s script to deliver an expressive showcase of loss and grief in a way that will hit close to home for many. Their study of grief and its many faces feels sincere, even if a bit skewed towards one type.
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The story follows Renn Wheeland (Nick Jonas) as he journeys back to Cleveland, Ohio to face the recent death of his mother Lily (Elisabeth Shue). Immediately, we learn that Renn is in avoidance mode as he lies to a friendly passenger, Zoey (Alexandra Shipp), about his reasons for returning home. He even asks his Uber driver to take the long way to his childhood house in hopes of escaping his eager-to-talk father Darren (Matt Walsh) and firm, sometimes uptight sister Leigh (Brittany Snow). None of these small attempts at dodging the elephant in the room work, however. Instead, Renn quickly learns that the memories of his mother are everywhere. And sooner than later, he’ll have to face them.

Nick Jonas, Matt Walsh, Brittany Snow, and Elisabeth Shue in The Good Half

Jonas’ approach in attempting to escape the memory of his mother’s sickness and current loss is impressive, to say the least. Ryland’s writing does well with his performance method; it requires a sense of charm to execute some of the more comedic moments. These instances never overshadow the seriousness and importance of the film’s message, but allow Jonas to shine in the scenes that require a more subtle approach in delivery. Snow is also a standout. She operates with a lovely brilliance that so few actresses possess, and it especially comes pouring out in some of the more emotional scenes.

As Renn and Leigh run errands to finalize the plans for their mother’s funeral, the differences in the ways they process grief manifests itself, almost to the point of being in your face. That’s not to say that there isn’t a balanced approach in terms of showcasing the different methods, but the script tends to lean towards Renn’s evading strategy, partly because this is his story after all. Where the script falters is through its tendency to villainize how everyone else around Renn processes their grief. Tonally, it feels as if we are being directed to see Leigh as “too uptight” or his father as “too invasive.” But in reality, they’re just trying to get things done and help Renn, which he tends to take as a negative.

Nick Jonas & Alexandra Shipp in The Good Half

The comparison of harnessing and embracing grief versus evading it altogether could work under normal circumstances. However, in The Good Half, we rarely get insight into the emotions and actions of side characters outside a few isolated occurrences. As a result, the friction that builds between Renn and others can leave you feeling emotionally unsure in terms of empathizing with certain characters. Furthermore, the resistance and attitude from Renn often comes off as whiny to the point where it’s a bit more challenging to understand where he’s coming from.

But that’s kind of the beauty with The Good Half. Grief makes people do silly things, and it makes them act in ways they probably wouldn’t normally. It could even trap people emotionally if they’re unable to see things outside their own perspective or fathom what others may be going through. The important thing is to lead with compassion even if you’re on the receiving end of the negativity because losing a loved one can be debilitating. Even worse, coming to terms with the end of life and how to move on from it is a process that hits us all differently.

The Good Half premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is 100 minutes long and not yet rated.