Current:Home > ScamsWhat 'Good Grief' teaches us about loss beyond death -ProfitLogic
What 'Good Grief' teaches us about loss beyond death
View
Date:2025-04-16 07:54:52
The person you love most in this world dies. Then you discover they've been lying to you.
That's the premise of new Netflix film "Good Grief" (now streaming), written by, directed by and starring Daniel Levy ("Schitt's Creek"). Marc (Levy) grieves the sudden death of his husband Oliver (Luke Evans), but when Marc finds out this sickening secret about Oliver, it warps his world. Marc is hardly the only one in the movie who learns complicated lessons about grief – all different kinds: grieving unrequited love, younger versions of ourselves, possibilities.
Grief doesn't apply to death alone. It comes in a series of shapes and sizes different than you might expect. And all can coexist.
All forms of grief are valid, despite that "there's this hierarchy around what grief deserves to get mourned or get honored," Loree Johnson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY.
Our chat with Daniel Levy:Daniel Levy on Netflix's 'Good Grief,' his bad habits and the 'Barbie' role that got away
'That isn't how grief works'
Levy's grandmother died within the last few years, the catalyst for his own grief journey. "I found myself getting really confused about what I was feeling," he told USA TODAY in a recent interview. He was simultaneously wrestling with the collective loss amid the pandemic. "Was I feeling enough? My body wasn't reacting in the ways that I thought it should. And that conversation of like, is there an appropriate way to grieve? Are you doing it properly?"
The death of a loved one is not more or less than any other type of grief. "There's a context to think about it, as sometimes we approach grief like it's a pie," grief expert and founder of Grief.com David Kessler previously told USA TODAY. "And it goes wrong if we think, 'wait, wait, you're taking some of the pie on your job loss. But I need a lot of it because my spouse died.' And that isn't how grief works."
Levy aimed to teach Marc this lesson in the film. "One of the takeaways that I wanted for the character of Marc was to realize by the end of the movie that everyone is grieving something in some capacity," Levy says.
What is 'disenfranchised grief?'
Some might call unique kinds of loss "disenfranchised grief" – something not openly acknowledged, socially mourned, or publicly supported, Johnson says. It's grief felt on an individual level not necessarily seen by others.
Plus, "the emotions can be the same, regarding all kinds of loss," according to Amy Morin, psychotherapist and the host of a podcast. For example, "someone who lost their job may feel sad, anxious, and a bit disoriented, which might be the same feelings someone experiences when they lose a friend or relative."
'It is highly personal'
Grief grows only that much more complicated when someone has wronged you in some way. "Grieving someone who let them down is complex," Jessica MacNair, licensed professional counselor, previously told USA TODAY. "There is no prescribed method to navigate this type of grief. It is highly personal and no one can expect anyone else to have a similar experience to one another."
But at the end of "Good Grief," at least, Marc comes to grips with Oliver's transgression. One way or another.
"I don't know if it's forgiveness, but I think it's acceptance," Levy says. "And I think that could be just as powerful."
If you'd like to share your thoughts on grief with USA TODAY for possible use in a future story, please take this survey here.
Contributing: Brian Truitt
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- The Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce effect? Why sports romance stories are hot right now
- A’s face tight schedule to get agreements and financing in place to open Las Vegas stadium on time
- Hiker mauled by grizzly in Grand Teton National Park played dead, officials say; bear won't be pursued
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Michael Strahan's daughter Isabella reveals she has memory loss due to cancer treatment
- Anthropologie’s Memorial Day Sale Starts Now, Save an Extra 40% off Select Summer Styles Starting at $12
- Diaper maker will spend $418 million to expand its Georgia factory, hiring 600
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Florida calls for probe of Starbucks' diversity policies
Ranking
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- New Zealand man filmed trying to body slam killer whale in shocking and stupid incident
- How Pregnant Vanessa Hudgens Feels About Her Kids Watching Her Movies One Day
- Get 50% Off Old Navy, 60% Off Fenty Beauty, 70% Off Anthropologie, 70% Off Madewell & Memorial Day Deals
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Urban Outfitters' Memorial Day Mega Sale is Here: Score a $590 Sweater for $18 & More Deals Up to 97% Off
- Why Kim Kardashian Is Feuding With “Miserable” Khloe Kardashian
- Michael Richards opens up about private prostate cancer battle in 2018
Recommendation
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Isla Fisher Seen Filming New Bridget Jones Movie Months After Announcing Sacha Baron Cohen Split
18-year-old student shot near suburban New Orleans high school
Florida attorney general says state will investigate Starbucks for DEI practices
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
The Extravagant Way Cher and Boyfriend Alexander Edwards Celebrated Her 78th Birthday
Khloe Kardashian Calls Out Mom Kris Jenner for Having Her Drive at 14 With Fake “Government License”
Norfolk Southern will pay modest $15 million fine as part of federal settlement over Ohio derailment