Good Dick (2008)

I really liked this movie.On a technical level it's not often I see a movie where characters this flawed, messed up and unlikeable are played so well. Bravo! This is not just another lame "two misfits meet, discover twoo wuv, and live happily ever after" type movie.Nor is it yet another "likable ordinary people triumph over adversity in a heartwarming tale about the profound goodness of the human spirit" movie.I liked the way it illustrated the truth that sometimes two people who are on quite different journeys will meet, and affect one another in some way, maybe one of them will learn something, and that's really about all you can hope for. But it's not a tale of two star-crossed lovers, and was never meant to be.I don't think we're supposed to like lying, manipulative, creepy stalker ex-druggie dude. I don't think we're meant to see his utterly selfish attempts to pick on a clearly vulnerable woman hoping to get laid (and at the same get a free roof over his head) sympathetically as though this behaviour is actually some OH SO ROMANTIC determination to do something special with this poor girl - although a surprising number of people seem to have viewed it that way? No, the guy is not very likable. Yes, he exhibits an ugly attitude of "You need me!" and "there must be something wrong with you if you won't have sex with me." Yes, the girl is traumatised and seriously damaged. No, there probably isn't much hope for them having a lovely life together. That's the point of this movie, I think. It's a glimpse into a horrible, bleak place. It succeeds in that.

Good Dick is an off-beat romantic dramedy about a strange relationship developing between a video store clerk and a reclusive girl who comes by every day to rent softcore porn movies. It's probably a case of intentional irony that the title of the film makes it so you'd be embarrassed to rent it from a video store. It's a nice cynical touch that fits the movie, but I think it does it more harm then good, because it may turn many potential viewers away from what is actually a pretty good movie.It's far from perfect, and suffers from some of the same amateurish flaws shared by many independent films - most notably, the awful overbearing music that disrupts far too many scenes, and some poor editing every now and then, but putting those aside it's an effective, touching movie, and very much not the sex comedy you might expect (though there are some very funny moments). Marianna Palka and Jason Ritter (John's son) deliver very realistic characters with a very awkward and naturalistic delivery. The supporting cast supplies a more solid ground to keep the whole thing from being too messy - most notably veteran actor Charles Durning in a very brief but very beautiful scene, and most surprisingly Tom Arnold (yes, that's right) in a very powerful performance - he was actually so good I hardly recognized him. Overall, an excellent little indie picture that's highly recommended, as long as you don't expect comedy and you don't expect sex or nudity (hint: there aren't any).

My only reason for this writing is to say that I'm pretty sure the very important "learning something everyday is knowledge, letting go of something wisdom" quote is a Zen proverb and not Emerson. I do believe this idea is key in everyone's life. Even abuse cases. Everybody had to know there was some deep problem with the girl, what with the dark rings under the eyes and all, but which problem this time? Bullying, the Holocaust, locked in the step parents closet for 5 years? Art is always trying to identify human conditions and I do appreciate that, but when it's toe curlingly familiar, well, it's just familiar. That said, the girl did let go in the end, I think, so we all can learn a little from this movie.

This movie is great, except that she should have been having permanent pleasure like the o, like all the time she is walking, eating looking, she is having o... (illegal word on this site) and she does not move but she dances, somewhat like in the Indian dances, she dances in ecstasy her hands up in the air somewhat like in the flamenco dance. her hands move like enchanted birds and that way she should dance to the store and back,all the time,like a musical with fast trans music. And so she should be dancing towards the video store taking the porn, dancing back home and then totally constantly flying away after having a tiny little blow.So that would be a great movie. Why doesn't he (the main character) understand that her life is perfect?yeah she might die of not eating but in fact she has won already, she has permanent o. Yes, she has won already, I mean my fictitious character. Does anyone share my opinion of this movie?please send me a message. I hope this site give notifiers.