The Good Heart

The Good Heart

Year: 2010

Runtime: 95 min

Language: English

Director: Dagur Kári

Drama

In this gritty drama, Brian Cox plays Jacques, a gruff New York bar owner who takes refuge in drink and smoke, only to find a new lease on life when he befriends Lucas, a young homeless man. As Lucas learns the rules of Jacques' male-only domain, their bond is put to the test by the arrival of April, a distraught beauty seeking shelter.

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The Good Heart (2010) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Read the complete plot breakdown of The Good Heart (2010), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

**In a gripping tale of redemption and unlikely friendship, we meet Jacques, a hot-tempered bartender portrayed by Brian Cox, who faces a life-altering moment when he suffers a heart attack. Within the walls of the hospital, he encounters Lucas, played by Paul Dano, a young homeless man who has just survived a suicide attempt. Despite their vastly different lives, an intense bond forms between them as they share a hospital room. Jacques becomes obsessed with the idea of helping Lucas, even going so far as to dig into his medical records in search of answers.

Initially reluctant, Lucas finally capitulates and pays a visit to Jacques’s bar, where he is offered a sparsely furnished room to stay. Jacques takes it upon himself to train Lucas in the intricacies of bartending; however, he finds that Lucas struggles to shake off his innate kindness towards the bar’s often abrasive patrons. Despite his harsh methods, Jacques aims to mold Lucas into his successor, believing he needs to toughen up.

As Lucas welcomes April, portrayed by Isild Le Besco, into his room, Jacques advises him to send her away. Yet, love blossoms between Lucas and April, leading them to marry and eventually leave together. This decision unnerves Jacques, but he reluctantly accepts that for the future of his bar, Lucas must be encouraged to flourish.

However, simmering jealousy arises within Lucas regarding April’s interactions with the bar’s clientele, leading to a breakup fraught with tension. As time passes, an unexpected transformation occurs; Jacques softens while Lucas grows harder. Tragedy strikes when Lucas is struck by a car, resulting in his untimely death. In a cruel twist of fate, Jacques receives Lucas’s heart as a transplant—something he had been desperately waiting for.

Despite his previous insistence on never selling his bar, Jacques finds himself making the decision to sell it and move to a tropical paradise, where he can savor life with friends who supply him with coffee. This narrative explores themes of friendship, loss, and the profound impact that one life can have on another.**

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 16:24

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