Goodrich (2024)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Art and Soul

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

There's little denying that Hallie Meyers-Shyer's dramedy Goodrich is on the generic side, scrubbed and predictable, but it also has Michael Keaton at his best; he lifts up every scene, and inspires others around him.

Andy Goodrich (Michael Keaton) gets a call in the middle of the night. His wife Naomi has checked herself into rehab for 90 days for abusing pills. Andy didn't even notice she had a problem. He runs a struggling art gallery and spends most of his time away, working and chasing new clients. He barely knows his 9-year-old twins Billie (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Mose (Jacob Kopera), and is now in charge of taking care of them, full-time.

But things start looking up as he grows closer to them. He also grows closer to Grace (Mila Kunis), his older daughter from a previous marriage, despite her bitterness over his absence from her childhood. And, given that Grace is pregnant, he faces the prospect of being a grandfather. Then, when legendary artist Theresa Thompson dies, Andy approaches her daughter Lola (Carmen Ejogo) about putting together a retrospective at his gallery. But just when things are starting to look up, another shoe is ready to drop.

We've seen the story trajectory before, a busy, distant dad who learns to get to know, and love, his family (like a grown-up Mr. Mom), and climaxing with a baby being born, but, whether it's thanks to the screenplay by director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, or the acting, or both, Goodrich earns goodwill along the way. Keaton's scenes with the twins are not played for dumb laughs, but rather warm humor and even some touching moments. Billie informs Andy that "mom puts a glass of water by my bed every night, and it wasn't there last night." We know that Andy will eventually remember and put out the water, but when he does, he does it just right, with a satisfying clink.

Keaton's scenes with Kunis are even better as they unwrap their feelings around each other, even if one of them set during a "hike," which seems like a lazy way to get some visual punch to the movie. There's even a strong scene with Andy and Grace's mother, played by Andie MacDowell, who was Keaton's onscreen wife 28 years earlier in Multiplicity. (It feels like they really do have shared history.)

The surprising kicker comes during the birthing scene, when Grace's husband (Danny Deferrari) — who is viewed as a drip by Andy — saves the day with an unexpectedly touching pep talk. And when Andy sheds a tear for perhaps the first time in years, it's earned. It feels like this could have been as great a showcase for Keaton as Lost in Translation was for Bill Murray, and it falls well short of that goalpost, but Goodrich still hits all the right buttons and it sends you away smiling.