Chris and Matt are lifelong friends who used to camp and hike various trails throughout the nation. Chris, who owns an independent construction company, has continued his love for the outdoors with his teenage daughter, Sam. Matt, a former television actor, still enjoys a good hike but doesn’t devote much time to it anymore.
Chris and Matt decide to reconnect with a camping weekend in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. On this excursion, they plan to take their teenage kids – Chris’ daughter, Sam, and Matt’s son, Dylan. But Dylan is upset with his parents for their recent divorce, and on the day of departure, decides not to go. Thus, Sam, who begins college in the fall, will be spending a weekend with her dad and his friend. Probably not exactly her first choice, but that’s simply the way the plot unfolds in director India Donaldson’s film debut, “Good One.” Donaldson, who also wrote the screenplay, would seem to have a strong future, if this picture is any indication.
“Good One” stars James Le Gros as Chris, and Danny McCarthy as Matt. If neither name rings a bell, Le Gros starred in Gus Van Sant’s “Drugstore Cowboy” back in 1989 but has been most active as a television actor. McCarthy’s career has been mostly in the live theatre world, but he did have a bit part in the Coen Brothers’ “Ballad of Buster Scruggs” in 2018. The real star of “Good One” however, is newcomer Lily Collias, who turns in a confident, assured performance as the proverbial glue that holds the trio together. She could have a real future in Hollywood.
As Chris and Matt bicker and rib one another over various faults, it is Sam who makes sure they begin the trail on time, prepare their backpacks appropriately, and pitch their tents properly. Since her dad is an experienced camper and hiker, most of her early attention falls on Matt. After Chris clears his friend’s backpack of unnecessary weight and excess unhealthy snacks, Sam keeps the grown-ups on task for the rest of the weekend. She must help Matt pitch his tent – a relatively simple camping task he’s forgotten. She and her father also take Matt to task for bringing nothing but heavy denim jeans for a hot summer camping excursion. Sam also starts their campfires and prepares their food.
During their downtime, we learn that Chris was also divorced years earlier, but (unlike Matt’s son), Sam seems to have reconciled with her situation. We also learn of Matt’s insecurity surrounding his life. He hasn’t been as successful as he would have liked, and with his divorce, his life would appear to be collapsing around him. A weekend with his old buddy would seem to be just what the doctor ordered.
I realize this description makes it seem as though there isn’t much going on in “Good One,” but nothing could be further from the truth. The brilliance of Donaldson’s debut screenplay is that we see the interplay between the two adult men through the eyes of young Sam. She is not only the background leader of the threesome, but she is our guide as viewers.
Several long sequences feature little to no dialogue. As we hear Celia Hollander’s beautiful instrumental music, we see Sam arrange and assemble meals, clean up afterward, photograph beautiful scenery with her phone, and occasionally text with a girlfriend back home. Likewise, we see Chris walk ahead as he navigates the trail, and we see some of Matt’s foibles that could have been avoided with proper planning. It is through these scenes that “Good One” develops its strength in storytelling. We don’t need a verbal narrator. Cinematographer Wilson Cameron provides all the narration we need through these quiet montages.
And just to throw a monkey wrench into the proceedings, Sam is also on her period and must periodically distance herself from the group to take care of this situation. Now, why would Donaldson feel the need to incorporate this layer of plot into her film? What does it add? Perhaps nothing, although it does set Sam apart from the other two. As she approaches adulthood, she is painfully aware that, as a woman, leader, and organizer, her role in life will require additional complications that others are not aware of. And she never once complained. Heck, the other two don’t even know. Then again, they are also oblivious to all that Sam does for them during the expedition. It’s as though they would only truly notice Sam were she not present.
So again, what are we to make of this? That women bear a greater responsibility in life than men? That sometimes teenagers are the adults, and the adults are the kids? Before we become too assured of such interpretations, Donaldson throws in a ringer. In the only true plot development, an inebriated Matt makes a mildly inappropriate comment to Sam one night at the campfire, after Chris has gone to bed. Sam broaches it the following morning with her father, and the subsequent reactions of all three protagonists serve to remind us that Sam is indeed just a teenager, and Chris and Matt are adult men.
I’ve probably already spoiled too many plot points, although “Good One” is not a plot-driven film. It’s a beautiful film, with striking vistas of nature and God’s creation. It is also a tutorial on camping – although if we interpret on a deeper level, it is a tutorial on planning, working, and holding a group together. And it is a fascinating character study. This one ends so abruptly that it instantly invites hours of discussion, post-viewing. For a film with seemingly so little going on, “Good One” is chock full of observation and unspoken depth. And it solidifies India Donaldson as (hopefully) one of our next great filmmakers.
