Good Dick

A video store clerk stalks, spies on and manipulates a reclusive woman, who often comes to the video store where he works to rent soft-core porn. Eventually, despite his strong optimism, her dislike of sex and resulting defensiveness drives them apart. It is revealed toward the end of the film that her dislike of both sex and relationships was fueled by sexual abuse at the hands of her father. The film ends with a confrontation with her father, and ultimately Ritter's character reuniting with her.

The film competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.{{cite web |date=2007-11-28 |title=2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition |url=http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625173658/http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf |archivedate=2008-06-25 |accessdate=2007-12-20 |format=PDF}} The film was given a limited release on October 10, 2008 by Gravitas Ventures.

Writing for The A.V. Club, Noel Murray gave one of the film's most negative reviews, calling it "indie-quirk to the motherfucking core. Not a single line or gesture has anything to do with the world in which real people live."{{Cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/good-dick-1798205004|title=Good Dick|last=Murray|first=Noel|date=October 9, 2008|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=2018-04-10|language=en-US}} By contrast, in The New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis said the film "surmounts its indie-movie quirkiness with exceptional acting and a sincere belief in the salvation of its wounded characters."{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/movies/17good.html|title=A Standoff Between Longing and Denial|first=Jeannette|last=Catsoulis|date=October 16, 2008|work=The New York Times|accessdate=13 June 2013}} In the Los Angeles Times, Carino Chocano felt that the film "carries its messed-up, highly improbable premise so lightly and gracefully that it ultimately comes off as a sweet, plausible and curiously grounded love story -- and touchingly old-fashioned for a movie about the adventures of a serial masturbator and the homeless kid who stalks her."{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-10-et-good10-story.html|title=Odd premise but a sweet tale|last=Chocano|first=Carina|date=2008-10-10|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2018-04-10|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}

{{As of|2020|06}}, Good Dick holds a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 42 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Marianna Palka's quirky indie debut centered on two dysfunctional loners is hit and miss, but has enough originality to see it through."{{cite web |title=Good Dick (2008) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_dick |accessdate=18 June 2020 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}} Good Dick has a Metacritic average of 54 based on 11 reviews, which the site describes as "mixed or average" reviews.{{Cite web |title=Good Dick |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/good-dick/critic-reviews |access-date=April 10, 2018 |website=Metacritic}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20120118121157/http://www.gooddickthefilm.com/}}
• {{Mojo title|id=gooddick|title=Good Dick}}
• {{IMDb title|0944101|Good Dick}}
• {{Rotten-tomatoes|id=good_dick|title=Good Dick}}
• {{Metacritic film}}

Category:2008 films

Category:2008 comedy-drama films

Category:American comedy-drama films

Category:American independent films

Category:2008 directorial debut films

Category:2008 independent films

Category:2000s English-language films

Category:Films directed by Marianna Palka

Category:2000s American films

Category:English-language comedy-drama films

Category:English-language independent films