After sitting through tribal warfare during the slave-trade era (“The Woman King”) and giddy, outer-space vibes of the David Bowie documentary (“Moonage Daydream”), I was ready for a movie more on the order of comfort food.

“The Good House,” set in the picturesque coves, wharves and towns of New England, looked to be the ticket.

Sigourney Weaver stars in the film. Kevin Kline co-stars in the film. With these two talented actors in “The Good House,” how could you go wrong? Well: “There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lips” (which is sort of the film’s theme).

Given the setting and the actors, I was thinking “The Big Chill” (1985) meets “On Golden Pond” (1981).

Instead, the film is more “28 Days” (2000) meets “Peyton Place” (1956 novel; 1964 - ‘69 TV show). “The Good House” is a bit soapy. You may need a good rinse afterward.

In “The Good House,” Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver) is a Realtor who lists high-end homes that would show well on the “Million Dollar Listing” reality TV show. The houses that Good is listing don’t need home staging.

Good needs more than staging. She needs an intervention. She’s buying red wine by the case and sneaking it into the cellar of her house. She does this while she claims to be in rehab and has told her daughters that she has stopped drinking alcohol.

Good needs to make, ahem, good, on closing a sale. A pending sale won’t do. Her own home mortgage is expensive. And the Range Rover she drives may be repossessed.

There are traumatic triggers that we see in flashbacks that may explain Good’s attempts at self-medication. Fortunately, for Good, her rendezvous with Frank Getchell (Kevin Kline) becomes an intervention of sorts.

Sigorney Weaver (“Avatar,” 2009; Oscar nominee, actress, “Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey,” 1988; Oscar nominee, supporting actress, “Working Girl,” 1988; Oscar nominee, actress, “Aliens,” 1986) gives a brave, disarming and altogether charming performance as Hildy.

The film’s directors’ and screenwriters’ use of direct address, whereby Hildy (Weaver) looks directly into the camera lens and, in a confidential tone, talks to the audience, as an aside or inner monologue, is a technique employed too often in the film and become awkward.

Kevin Kline (“I Love You to Death,” 1990, based on a true story about Frances Toto and her unsuccessful attempts to kill her husband, pizza shop owner Anthony Toto, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1984; Oscar recipient, supporting actor, “A Fish Called Wanda,” 1988) underplays his role magnificently.

It’s the third time that Kline and Weaver have teamed up on the big screen. They costarred in the comedy, “Dave” (1993), where they were in another house, The White House, with Kline as stand-in for president of the United States, and Weaver as the real First Lady. They also co-starred in the drama, “The Ice Storm” (1997), which took place in a dysfunctional New England house.

In supporting roles are Morena Baccarin (Rebecca), Rob Delaney (Peter) and David Rasche (Scott).

Maya Forbes (screenwriter, “Trolls 2: World Tour,” 2020; screenwriter, “A Dog’s Journey,” 2019; director-screenwriter, “The Polka King,” 2017; director-screenwriter, “Infinity Polar Bear,” 2014; screenwriter, “Monsters vs. Aliens,” 2009; Emmy nominee, TV’s “The Larry Sanders Show,” 1996, 1995, 1994) and her husband Wallace Wolodarsky (director-screenwriter, “Seeing Other People,” 2004; Two-time Emmy recipient, TV’s “The Simpsons,” 1991; “The Tracey Ullman Show,” 1987) direct from a screenplay they co-wrote with Thomas Bezucha (director, screenwriter, “Let Him Go”) based on the best-selling novel by Ann Leary.

“The Good House” shows nicely. Buyer beware: It’s a real fixer-upper. Remember, it may be “The Good House,” but it might not be “A Good Home.”

“The Good House,”

MPAA Rated R (Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.) for brief sexuality and language; Genre: Comedy, Drama. Run time: 1 hour, 44 minutes. Distributed by Roadside Attractions.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

“The Good House” soundtrack includes “Reflections of My Life” by Marmalade, a perfect Yacht Rock tune for a Yacht Rock movie; “Bring It On Home to Me,” by Sam Cooke, and “Down to Zero” by Joan Armatrading.

At the Movies:

“The Good House” was seen in the Movie Tavern at Trexlertown.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Box Office,

Oct. 7 - 9: “Smile” turned that frown upside down for a second straight week at No. 1, with $17 million, in 3,659 theaters, $49.8 million, keeping the animation and live-action musical comedy, “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” starring former Lehigh Valley resident Winslow Fegley, opening at No. 2, with $11.5 million, in 4,350 theaters, and the star-studded comedy “Amsterdam,” opening at No. 2, with $6.5 million, in 3,005 theaters.

4. “The Woman King” dropped one place, $5.3 million, in 3,342 theaters, $54.1 million, four weeks. 5. “Don’t Worry Darling” dropped three places, $3.4 million, in 3,324 theaters, $38.4 million, three weeks. 6. “Avatar” 2022 re-release dropped two places, $2.5 million, in 2,040 theaters, $23.3 million, three weeks. 7. “Barbarian” stayed in place, $2.1 million, in 2,160 theaters, $36.5 million, five weeks. 8. “Bros” dropped three places, $2.1 million, in 3,356 theaters, $8.8 million, two weeks. 9. “Terrifier 2,” opening, $825,000, in 886 theaters. 10. “Top Gun: Maverick” stayed in place, $800,000, in 1,127 theaters, $714.6 million, 20 weeks. 16. “The Good House” dropped two places, $347,210, in 989 theaters, $1.5 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Oct. 9 is subject to change.

Unreel,

Oct. 14:

“Til,”

PG-13: Chinonye Chukwu directs Jalyn Hall, Danielle Deadwyler, Frankie Faison and Haley Bennett in the drama based on the true story of the lynching of a black teen in 1955 in Mississippi.

“She Said,”

R: Maria Schrader directs Samantha Morton, Carey Mulligan and Patricia Clarkson in the Drama based on the 2019 book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey that let to the #MeToo movement about sexual assault n Hollywood and movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

“The Whale,”

No MPAA rating: Darren Aronofsky directs Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton in the Drama. An overweight English teacher tries to make amends with his teen-age daughter.

“Halloween Ends,”

R: David Gordon Green directs Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Andi Matichak and Stephanie McIntyre in the Horror film. The tale about Michael Myers and Laurie Strode concludes. Or does it?

Movie opening dates based on the Internet Movie Database as of Oct. 9 are subject to change.

This column is dedicated to Jeff Weiss (1940-2022), an Allentown resident who was in the movie, “Vanilla Sky” (2001). Kevin Kline recruited Weiss for the role of Hamlet’s Father’s Ghost in The Public Theatre, New York City 1986 production of “Hamlet,” in which Kline played the title role.

Two Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes