Aahana Swrup
‘Goodrich’ is a family drama film where an unexpected development pushes the protagonist to re-evaluate his approach to the relationships he sustains in his life. The titular character, Andy Goodrich, is an art dealer in his late 60s, and his gallery in Los Angeles has seen better days. Nonetheless, a bigger problem overtakes his life when his wife, Naomi, leaves home to enter a rehab program for a pill problem that her husband had failed to notice. As a result, seemingly out of the blue, Andy becomes the primary parent for his two young kids, Billie and Mose, who keep him on his toes.
During this time, he finds invaluable support from his older daughter—from another marriage—Grace, who has to deal with the reality of watching her father become a better, more caring parent. This push-and-pull between the father-daughter duo sustains the emotional drive of Andy’s storyline. Meanwhile, Theresa Thompson and her artistic work become the central friction in his career.
Theresa Thompson Grounds Andy’s Characterization as an Art Dealer
Despite the slight real-life inspiration that ‘Goodrich’ mines from writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s life, most of the storylines within the film remain works of fiction. This is most prominently present in Andy’s professional life as an art gallery owner. For the same reason, Theresa Thompson—a central tool in this aspect of his plotline—remains a fictional character. Although many artists undoubtedly exist in real life sharing the same name as the on-screen savant, none have any connection to her. In the film, Theresa is confined in memory and discussions since the character is dead during the story’s events.
As a result, Theresa is primarily present in the narrative through her daughter, Lola, who is in charge of her estate. Since her mother’s death, the daughter—another aspiring artist pursuing the music industry—finds Theresa’s art in high demand. In fact, Andy enters her life as another prospective art dealer, seeking the rights to exhibit the Thompson collection in the gallery. Despite their amicable partnership and budding connection, their deal ended up falling through mostly for financial reasons. This showcases a bitter aspect of the art industry where one often ends up needing to prioritize profits and exposure over virtues and values.
Furthermore, the cat-and-mouse chase between Andy and Lola, as a businessman and potential customer, showcases how good the art dealer truly is at his job. Not only does Andy pursue Lola efficiently and effectively, but he also submerges himself into her perspective to bond over a common ground. For the same reason, his eventual failure ends up hitting that much harder. As such, even though Theresa Thompson isn’t a real artist, she ends up bringing natural and realistic conflict to Andy’s otherwise fictionalized tale.
Read More: Is Goodrich a True Story? Is Goodrich Gallery Real? Is Andy Goodrich Based on a Real Art Dealer?
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