TIFF 2020: Good Joe Bell Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

After spending so much time in action films, comedies, and other big budget fare, Mark Wahlberg attempts to get back into the Oscar conversation with Good Joe Bell, the latest drama based on a true story. While he is undoubtedly the best part of this film, it unfortunately also a frustratingly shallow experience that fails to make a dent with viewers on a deeper emotional level while a certain baffling plot choice is sure to lose some as well. Despite good intentions, it is a solid albeit a little too understated experience with a decent amount of touching moments but whose structure certainly did it a great disservice as some will find it hard to follow at least at the start. When paired alongside a short running time, clocking in at 90 minutes, this is accentuated.

As mentioned, Good Joe Bell is based on the true story of Joe Bell (Wahlberg), a father who sets out on a walk across America to spread awareness against bullying in honor of his son Jadin (Miller). Jumping between multiple rushed timelines, the story follows Bell’s struggles on the road, trying to make it with seemingly nothing while Jadin struggled living in a small town in Oregon as he was being bullied at high school for being gay and figuring out how to share the news with his parents, including his mother Lola (Britton). However, the way the film jumps back and forth simply doesn’t work, creating an incoherent mess that was hard to connect with the characters on a deep emotional level as its intended impact wasn’t there all the way until the end.

That being said, Good Joe Bell wasn’t without its touching moments as the film does just enough thanks to its performances across the board with the aforementioned Wahlberg leading the way as the titular character. He definitely give it his all as a damaged man coping with his own prejudices while trying to do right by his son. Though the character may take a little too long to get going as he plays him too understated for too long, the moment where all those walls come down is some of the most powerful stuff he’s ever done. Though this was Wahlberg’s film and rightfully so, Miller was impressive with and without him as Jadin Bell and Britton was solid in a limited role as Lola Bell.

At the end of the day, there is probably a better film within Good Joe Bell but the performances pull out of it just enough to make it worth the watch.

still courtesy of TIFF

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.