Coming of age stories are nothing new, but writer-director India Donaldson’s debut feature film Good One paints one teen’s experience in a new light. Unassuming and subtle, the film charts how one wilderness adventure changes a young woman’s perspective of her father, altering their relationship forever.
Seventeen-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) is what the adults in her life would describe as a “good one”: smart, funny, and with enough self-assurance that she’s comfortable on a multi-day hiking trip through the wilderness with her dad, Chris (James Le Gros) and his friend, Matt (Danny McCarthy). An only child of divorce, Sam has a close bond with Chris, who doles out an appropriate amount of dad jokes and teasing. Matt, on the other hand, is a down-on-his-luck actor in the early stages of his own divorce who has a sullen teenage son who bailed on the wilderness adventure.
In what feels like a relatively low-stakes, simple narrative — there are no bear encounters or survival elements here — Donaldson lets the 89-minute story unfold at a delicate pace. More blundering than bullying, the men are something of a casual amusement to Sam, who is privy to their conversations, chiming in here and there but only when called upon. She offers the men new insights, but in their eyes, she’s still just a kid.
The crux of Good One comes when a light-hearted joking conversation takes a brief, but sudden turn to the uncomfortable. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment the atmosphere changes. It’s the instant that will give the thoughtful teen a new understanding of her relationship with her father. It is such a massive and subtle moment, that viewers may not recognize the tectonic shift that’s occurring under the surface of Sam’s thoughts.
The friction that ensues between the trio is subtle, but palpable. There are no explosive revelations or confrontations here but with Donaldson’s effective script and direction, newcomer Collias shines as Sam. Her inner thoughts and reasonings are visible on her face as she contemplates the conversations and reactions of the older men. You can see the disappointment in her as she weighs the irreparable changes in her dynamic with Chris. She’s now not only on the verge of adulthood, but is reevaluating her relationship with her father and seeing him in a new light. The actress does so much with just a look, that I can’t wait to see her career take off with future roles.
It is easy to compare Good One to Leave No Trace, another father-daughter relationship drama set in the woods. Though the themes are different, both films evoke a similar vibe. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Wilson Cameron, the woods are a character themselves. Feeling both comforting and oppressive over the course of the film, Cameron frames this small cast in new and interesting ways. Combined with the soundscape of nature, Good One is never boring to the eye.
When the time comes for the heart of Good One to reveal itself, Donaldson flips a switch. The tension is unmissable, unfolding on the screen amongst the trip of actors in a way that feels more controlled than expected from a debut director. There is much left unsaid in Good One and no debate as to whether Sam’s reaction to the inciting incident is warranted. She may have entered the woods as a thoughtful girl, but she will walk out of the woods a changed young woman with a road of reflection ahead of her.
Good One opens at Lightbox in Toronto and in Vancouver at Cineplex International Village on August 16, before opening in Victoria, Calgary, Saskatoon and Edmonton on August 23.
