Father-Daughter Hike Turns into Heart-Touching Feature Film Debut

The first feature by writer-director India Donaldson, “Good One,” presents an extraordinary tale about a daughter and her father, touching on how passing remarks can linger for a lifetime. Donaldson’s debut film resembles a near-perfect short story or novella in its meticulous execution.

Filmed over just 12 days, the movie begins with high school senior Sam (played by the outstanding newcomer Lily Collias) in her bedroom in New York City. She’s chatting with her friend and possible love interest, Jessie (Sumaya Bouhbal), before leaving for an annual hiking trip in the Catskills with her tightly wound father, Chris (James Le Gros).

The next morning, Chris and Sam pick up Chris’s old actor friend, Matt (Chicago stage veteran Danny McCarthy), and Matt’s son, who is dealing with his parents’ recent breakup. Sam, familiar with the turmoil of divorce due to her father’s second marriage, observes a brief but intense argument between Matt and his son before Matt gets into the car alone.

“Good One” relies heavily on its three main characters and their interactions rather than a straightforward narrative. This approach is highly effective, drawing the viewer into the nuanced dynamics and unspoken tensions among the characters.

Without Matt’s son on the trip, Sam feels somewhat like an outsider, a passive observer among the adult men both in the car and later on the trail. As the film progresses through its 80-minute runtime, it transitions from low-key comedy to a more introspective drama.

Sam learns various lessons, often without words, as she plays cards outside her tent with her father, Matt, and young men from a neighboring campsite. Later, she listens intently as her dad and Matt share drinks and stories by the campfire, revealing past regrets and concealed feelings. Sam becomes the emotional traffic controller, a role likely familiar to many adolescents in complex family situations.

The trailer for “Good One” may suggest tension and conflict, but the film avoids melodramatic reveals or grand speeches. Instead, it focuses on moments of understated yet profound realization for Sam.

Director Donaldson and cinematographer Wilson Cameron, both debuting, skillfully capture the natural surroundings, from slugs on rocks to lush mountain greenery. The visuals often zero in on Sam as she handles the tent’s aluminum rods, suggesting a metaphor for the challenges faced by adolescent girls in deciphering the complexities of the adult men in their lives.

India Donaldson, daughter of veteran Australian director Roger Donaldson, demonstrates promise and artistic vision in her debut, avoiding the trappings of nepotism through genuine and often poignant storytelling.

In one scene, Chris, needing alcohol to confront his heavy emotional baggage, responds to Matt’s story about his divorce and estrangement from his son. “You do the bad thing,” Chris says, reflecting on his past. “It’ll haunt you for years until one day you realize: ‘Oh. I only thought about the bad thing once today.’”