'Goodwin Games' review: Sibling revelry
Three estranged siblings, from left, Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (T.J. Miller) return home after the loss of their beloved father and unexpectedly find themselves poised to inherit more than $20 million -- if, and only if, they can adhere to their late father's wishes in "The Goodwin Games." Credit: Fox
Dad's devious pre-death plot propels them back to their hometown and back into elbow-in-the-ribs rivalry, with his fortune set to go to the "contestant" who aces Dad's title events -- everything from a familycentric match of Trivial Pursuit to . . .
"Goodwin Games" is playful indeed, in well-played kid-era flashbacks and current-day vignettes that push the siblings' childhood buttons. There's not much meat in this pilot, but what's there is cherce -- as Tracy once said of Hepburn, which is neither here nor there, but which accents this show's offhand inspirations. Miller's sticky-fingered ex-con visits his tot daughter in wonderful climb-in-the-window moments. Foley drinks with his down-to-earth ex-girlfriend minister. There are intimations of other town oddities to come.
There's humor, there's heart, you'll laugh when you don't expect to. With no laugh track to cue it, you find your own way, just as these grown kids warmly re-form their family.
Most Popular
Top Stories
