The Good Lie
Performance & Direction: The Good Lie Review
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Good Lie (2014) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 7.4/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and The Good Lie features a noteworthy lineup led by Reese Witherspoon . Supported by the likes of Corey Stoll and Arnold Oceng , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of The Good Lie (2014) is generally positive. With an audience rating of 7.4/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Story & Plot Summary: The Good Lie
Quick Plot Summary: The Good Lie is a Drama film that explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
This character-driven narrative explores the internal and external conflicts that define the human experience. A young refugee of the Sudanese Civil War who wins a lottery for relocation to the United States with three other lost boys. Encountering the modern world for the first time, they develop an unlikely friendship with a brash American woman assigned to help them, but the young man struggles to adjust to this new life and his feelings of guilt about the brother he left behind. The screenplay takes time to develop its characters, allowing audiences to connect emotionally with their struggles and triumphs. Each scene builds upon the last, creating a cumulative emotional impact.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: We meet the main character in their ordinary world, establishing the emotional baseline before the inciting incident disrupts their life.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The emotional climax brings character arcs to their natural conclusion, providing catharsis while staying true to the story's core themes.
Ending Explained: The Good Lie
Ending Breakdown: The Good Lie resolves its central conflict while maintaining thematic consistency. The finale has been praised for its approach to drama resolution.
The emotional climax centers on character transformation, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes with clear resolution of its central conflicts, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Main characters complete meaningful transformations, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of The Good Lie reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch The Good Lie?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Box Office Collection: The Good Lie
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $20.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $3.4M |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
The Good Lie Budget
The estimated production budget for The Good Lie is $20.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Good Lie
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Where to Watch The Good Lie Online?
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YouTubeThe Good Lie Parents Guide & Age Rating
2014 AdvisoryWondering about The Good Lie age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Good Lie is 110 minutes (1h 50m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 7.4/10, and global performance metrics, The Good Lie is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 2014 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Good Lie worth watching?
The Good Lie is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 7.4/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Good Lie parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Good Lie identifies it as PG-13. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Good Lie?
The total duration of The Good Lie is 110 minutes, which is approximately 1h 50m long.
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Critic Reviews for The Good Lie
Migration is the part of life for birds and animals for millions of years. For the different season, to be in the different places, away from harsh nature is to comforts from any severeness. Still happening in greater number everywhere except humans who thought enough is enough, let's stay and face the challenges. Wow, that's awesome, the civilization was born. So those who stayed in the different places, formed different race, different culture and language with borders around. All kinds of people (religious) have to live together, if something goes wrong between them, the weaker must retreat, but to where? I have to mention all these, because to remind ourselves how far we'd come. Today to travel to another continent you've to pass so many formalities like visa, passport, security check, background check, check-up for latest fast spreading disease, body scans for smuggling, purpose of visit etc. It is better to turn into a bird and fly away than going through all this. That's why I am not a nationalist and call myself the citizen of planet Earth, which put me on debate with guys around on the several occasions. Okay. The movie was inspired by 'Lost Boys of Sudan'. The true story of four young Sudanese, after their elders were killed in the attack of their village they team up to escape. Henceforth living in the refugee camp in Kenya, looking for an opportunity for a better life. It lands, but struggle continues as to adapt the new place and finding the right employment. The journey from nowhere to the land of dream, but they had no dream at all, all they wanted was a normal life anywhere peacefully. On the other end, the rules and regulations begin to haunt them, which they were not used to it. > ‘‘We found strength in sticking together > But our hope of ever leaving was fading.’’ Definitely an inspiring story. For the meaning of the title, you have to wait until the last minute. Because all the great stories told in the history began or ends with the great sacrifice. That was a touching scene, I just imagined, in reality, how tough it would have been. You probably don't understand what I'm saying, but I'm trying to keep spoiler away. We had seen the similar theme from another angle in Gerard Butler starer 'Machine Gun Preacher'. Yep, about the same war, but set in a different place. The main difference is this movie is not a heroic tale like that where a white man fights for the innocent Africans. You know there are about 20.000 boys and girls orphaned and displaced during the civil war that lasted for nearly 25 years. The writer had to pick just one from the thousands of stories. So that's how 'The Good Lie' came, a story of complete integrity. From the filmmaker of Oscar nominated foreign movie 'Monsieur Lazhar'. One of my favourites from Canada. I loved all his previous films, so the expectation for this was same as always. It partially feels like a docudrama, but it was not. Leaping into Hollywood did not change his style of film making. He turned into an American movie in which something lacks today, reality and honesty with dynamic story than its characters. Reese Witherspoon's presence did not affect either, the narration was neutral from the perspective of character preference. In fact, Reese Witherspoon's existence helped to put some familiar face on the posters. Especially for the marketing purpose for the wide release, other than the film festivals. So this movie definitely is to go for it, only if you're not seeking entertainment. 8.5/10
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.









