| The Good Life | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Original title | La buena vida |
| Directed by | David Trueba |
| Written by | David Trueba |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William Lubtchansky |
| Edited by | Ángel Hernández Zoido |
| Music by | Antoine Duhamel |
| Production companies |
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| Distributed by | United International Pictures |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 1h 47min |
| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
The Good Life (Spanish: La buena vida) is a 1996 comedy-drama film written and directed by David Trueba, starring Fernando Ramallo and Lucía Jiménez.
Cast
- Fernando Ramallo as Tristán
- Lucía Jiménez as Lucía
- Luis Cuenca as abuelo
- Isabel Otero as Isabel
- Joel Joan as Claudio
- Vicky Peña as madre
- Jordi Bosch as padre
- Jesús Bonilla
- Eloi Yebra [es] as Félix
- Alicia Hermida as Flora
- Ramón Barea
Production
The film is a Spanish-French-Italian co-production by Fernando Trueba PC, Kaplan, and Olmo Films alongside L. Films and Academy Pictures.
Release
Distributed by United International Pictures (UIP), the film was released theatrically in Spain on 13 December 1996. It screened in the Directors' Fortnight at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. It also screened at the 32nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 1997, winning the Special Jury Prize.
Reception
Jonathan Holland of Variety deemed the film to be "a charming, carefully crafted and low-key tragicomedy".
Sequel
Trueba wrote and directed a 2018 sequel, Almost 40, with Ramallo and Jiménez returning to their roles over two decades after.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 11th Goya Awards | Best Original Screenplay | David Trueba | Nominated | |
| Best New Director | David Trueba | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Luis Cuenca | Won | |||
| Best New Actress | Lucía Jiménez | Nominated |
See also
References
- ^ Holland, Jonathan (11 January 1997). "The Good Life". Variety.
- ^ Benavent 2000, p. 128.
- ^ "La buena vida". Fotogramas. 29 May 2008.
- Benavent, Francisco María (2000). Cine español de los 90. Diccionario de películas, directores y temático. Bilbao: Ediciones Mensajero. p. 128. ISBN 84-271-2326-4.
- "Quinzaine 1997". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- "History - 32nd festival". kviff.com. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- Belinchón, Gregorio (20 April 2018). "'La buena vida' de Trueba sigue ahora con 'Casi 40'". El País.
- "La buena vida". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 16 July 2023.