A Good Person is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Zach Braff. The film stars Florence Pugh, Molly Shannon, Chinaza Uche, Celeste O'Connor, and Morgan Freeman. 

A Good Person was released in the United States on a limited theatrical release on March 24, 2023, before a wide expansion on March 31, 2023, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film received mixed response from critics.

Plot
Allison Johnson is an aspiring musician, engaged to her high school sweetheart, Nathan Adams. The day following a family party, Allison causes an accident while driving with her eyes off the road, killing her future brother and sister-in-law Jesse and Molly, and sustaining critical injuries.

One year later, dealing with severe depression and unable to deal with her guilt, Allison lives with her mother Diane, who attempts to curb her daughter's addiction to pain pills. Meanwhile, Nathan and Molly's ex-cop father Daniel is taking care of his granddaughter Ryan, who is still processing the loss of her mother.

After failing to get drugs illicitly from her friend Becka, and after a humiliating encounter with two high school acquaintances leads her into a downward spiral, Allison joins a therapy group. There, she unexpectedly encounters Daniel, who reveals in a meeting that his drinking resulted in repeated blackouts where he wouldn't remember his violent behavior, and that in one such occasion he destroyed the hearing in Nathan's ear. Ryan, in her turn, is bullied for her status as an orphan and in trouble for her behavior.

Allison meets Daniel at his house, and while leaving, she is confronted by Ryan for Allison's direct responsibility in her mother's death. Allison eventually relapses, before pulling herself together and accompanying Ryan to a concert, where Allison is reintroduced to Nathan and his new paralegal girlfriend. Allison is devastated at what she perceives as a cruel act by Ryan, and accompanies her to an after-party where she relapses again. Allison is unable to protect Ryan being taken advantage of in a back room, but Daniel arrives and puts an end to it. Outside, he confesses that he considered Allison a test from God, but now realizes she's a waste.

After accepting her role in the accident, Allison is able to move toward recovery. A year later, Allison is writing songs, and she and Nathan reacquaint themselves. Daniel passes on suddenly, leaving Ryan in Nathan's care until she leaves for college, and Allison attends the funeral where she discovers Daniel's letter to her explaining his thoughts and that the Latin translation of his tattoo "amor fati" is "to love one's fate".

Cast

Other appearances include Drew Gehling as Max, Jessie Mueller as Sandra Keen, Shirley Rumierk as Dr. Gonzalez, Cary Brothers as himself, Charlene Kaye as bassist, and Jackie Hoffman as Belinda.

Production

On February 26, 2021, it was reported Zach Braff would write and direct A Good Person, a drama starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. By March 2021, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was in negotiations to acquire the rights to the film in a multimillion-dollar deal. In September 2021, it was confirmed MGM would be producing and distributing the film, with Molly Shannon joining the cast, and Braff and Pugh set to produce.

In July 2021, when asked if he would go back to directing feature films, Braff said "I'd like to do more. I just kind of, for better, for worse, I just go where the wind takes me ... and then the pandemic happened and I wrote this screenplay. And then that came together with Florence [Pugh] and Morgan Freeman". Principal photography began in October 2021, with Celeste O'Connor, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Chinaza Uche joining the cast. In November 2021, filming took place at Columbia High School in Essex County, New Jersey.

Music

Release
It was released on limited release on March 24, 2023, with wide expansion from March 31, 2023. The film had its red carpet premiere at the Ham Yard Hotel in London on March 8, 2023. The film was released on Blu-ray on May 30.

Reception

Box office
, A Good Person has grossed $2.2 million in the United States and Canada and $870,153 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $3.1 million.

In limited release, the film grossed $832,007 at the box office from 530 theatres, finishing in 12th place. The film had a wide expansion on March 31 alongside Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, A Thousand and One and His Only Son, and grossed $510,210 at the box office, expanding 687 theatres and finishing 14th place beaten up by Champions (2023) (in a record of $700,000).

Critical response

References

External links
 
 

2023 drama films
2023 films
2020s English-language films
American drama films
Films directed by Zach Braff
Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
Films shot in New Jersey
Killer Films films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
2020s American films