The Good Half

Boring not interesting but sad i guess i don't really know the point of thise depressed and sad movies, make no sense to me but it's ok I guess, overall its a solid time but nothing happens and that can make you feel kinda sad but its a good movie to Cry i never cry so i don't know, you need to start loving your mother and stop treating her bad ok, you own her everything so be a good kid ok my guys, overall its an interesting performance by Jonas and the rest of the cast is solid and its a good time so go watch it guys

Nick Jonas born to be an actor definitely my bias of the jonas brothers by far.

Why are you actually home? "My mom died."

Nick Jonas (as Renn) delivers one of the most natural, honest performances you'll ever see on film, as he returns to Cleveland to attend his mother's funeral (Lily, played by the fabulous Elizabeth Shue). Of course, the camera loves Jonas, and he's one of those actors that simply looks great on screen. Whether the camera is wide or close, he's warm, authentic and naturally charming. Then there's the superb direction from Robert Schwartzman which is also very thoughtful as he draws nuance after nuance from Jonas with subtle, quirky looks, awkward smiles, and nervous gestures). Jonas reaches acting nirvana because it never looks like he's acting.

Overall, it's often painful to watch as Jonas' character interacts with his distant father and strange step-father while missing his dead mother (through often funny flashbacks). He struggles that she left him but he also realizes he is powerless to do anything about it. But, he can hope. He wants so badly to re-live a day, an hour, even a moment with Lily. But, it's never melodramatic or overacted. Just completely natural.

Toward the end of the film, Jonas delivers a very fine monologue of just what The Good Half means to him. It's a memorable bookend to a performance that is truly perfect.

Bravo Nick.

The Good Half is a great film that should definitely be talked about more. It's a heart-wrenching movie about love and loss and how loved ones deal with grief after losing someone close. Nick Jonas (Renn) is phenomenal in this, he embodies his character perfectly. Brittany Snow (Leigh), Alexandra Shipp (Zoey), and Elisabeth Shue (Lily) are great in supporting roles as well. The filmmakers and actors all did a great job because this movie feels very real and authentic. Anyone who doesn't like this film or thinks it's too boring or sad, probably can't relate to it because if you've ever lost a loved one this movie captures exactly how it feels. This is definitely worth a watch. Great acting and a beautiful film!

I'm a bit of a sucker for those films that slip under the radar, are produced on a low budget and don't have all the marketing glitz of so-called blockbuster movies. And so it is with the Good Half. Grief is an individual emotion and response that's often hard to articulate and depict on the screen without falling into cliches and mush. However the Good Half gives a worthy and considered account of what grief is like for 1 family and particularly the son, Renn Wheeland, played by Nick Jonas. With the death of his mother, he finds it difficult to express his emotions and plays it out through detachment and, at times aggression. Flashbacks of Renn with his mother during his childhood and later, add to his frustration at her passing. This is an ensemble cast and Renn's story is aided by well-balanced and convincing performances by his sister, Leigh, played by Brittany Snow and his mother Lily, played by Elisabeth Shue. Other cast members add to the well-crafted story. While the story moves along at a slow pace (as others have mentioned in reviews here) this only adds depth to the grief in the immediate aftermath of Lily's death. So be patient and watch through to the end and you'll be rewarded with a superb story of one family's response to the passing of one of their key members. Highly recommended.

This has to be one of my favorite movies of the year. The film follows Renn, an aspiring writer who returns home to Cleveland after the death of his mother. On the trip home meets, Zoey, a psychologist who he connects with. However, Renn is struggling with his family as the family makes preparations for his mother's funeral. Particularly, Renn is struggling with his sister Leigh, who has been doing most of the work while he is gone. At the same time, Renn finds himself relieving both good and bad memories about his mother while also learning that not everyone remembers things the same way he does. I don't want to give anything away, but I thought this was an amazing movie with a great cast. It was both emotional and funny. Brittany Snow stole the show as Leigh. Brittany is my all-time favorite actor, and this has to be among her best work. She captured what it is like to be stuck in the middle of family drama in a family crisis. She did a great job as the sister who is trying to keep the family together. She also delivers some heartbreaking scenes that blew me away. And yet, she was able to bring some levity to the role. She also did well playing off of Nick Jonas, whose character was stuck in his own way for a lot of the film. Nick Jonas proves he can not only act but lead a movie. Alexandra Shipp and Nick Jonas have amazing chemistry, and their relationship felt authentic and not forced or too over the top. Furthermore, I really liked a lot of the themes and subjects of this movie. It really captured what it's like when you lose a loved one. Renn and Leigh both go through the stages of grief in their own ways. The film also captured how both good and bad memories return in a situation like that. Lastly, the film does an excellent job of showing how different people remember people differently based on their relationship with them. Renn has one image of his mom, but his sister and the others he meets have a different one. My only complaint would be that I would've liked to have seen Leigh's character further developed. For example, there is mention of trouble with her boyfriend, but they never really get into that. Also, there was some Cleveland slander, which I didn't approve of (let's go, Cavs!). But other than that, it's a near-perfect film, IMHO. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, especially Brittany Snow's performance alone.