“Happy you’re home.”

The Good Half follows Renn (Nick Jonas) who struggles to face the emotions he has after his mother’s death. Renn resists the idea of therapy, shuns positivity, and resorts to committing an illegal act after he blows up in someone’s face. He has a lot of work to do and this movie doesn’t really cover that. 

Fans of Jonas will be happy that there is a karaoke scene. Part of the charm the film has is the flashbacks with the mother (Elisabeth Shue); she’s imperfect and has her favorite child and sets rules for her adult children. However, the dysfunctional family with the passive father (Matt Walsh), irksome sister (Brittany Snow), and plain horrible step-father (David Arquette) rings true.  

I feel that director Robert Schwartzman’s recent Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary (2023) was much stronger. After viewing it, I decided that watching The Good Half was imperative. Schwartzman cracked the code for making an effective documentary. Something was missing with this narrative feature, though. 

Renn comes to several realizations that may seem like a character arc. He decides to handle the newfound relationship with the amazing girl he met on the plane (Alexandra Shipp) with maturity. I’m not sure if that maturity is earned or quite sudden. It feels like the movie went from Point A to Point C without stopping at Point B. However, despite it not being the best vehicle for anyone involved, it was a harmless romp. Fans of any of the actors involved will find something to like.