Elisabeth Shue on the 'absurd' and 'tragic' aspects of grief in 'The Good Half'

When she played the role of matriarch Lily in The good half, Elizabeth Shue was intrigued by the idea of ​​telling a story about the “honest” – and ultimately very “funny” – aspects that accompany the grieving process.

“I think the humor in [this film] is what really made me do it because I feel like that is the most human thing – how absurd it is and how sad and tragic it is,” Shue, 60, told We weekly. “But it's also just absurd how people react to the terrifying reality of dying. It's just terrifying that it's going to happen to all of us. And so we all end up in a strange, numb, shocked state that creates a lot of humor.”

The Good Half, written by Brett Ryland and directed by Robert Schwartzman, follows Renn (Nick Jonas) when he returns to Cleveland for his mother Lily's (Shue) funeral, where he must confront his grief and reconcile with estranged family members. However, Renn comes into conflict with his sister (Brittany Snow) and stepfather (David Arquette), as they all have different ideas about how to handle Lily's posthumous tribute.

These clashing personalities – and the chaotic handling of the more bureaucratic aspects of death – are what Shue finds most entertaining and true to life. “Everyone is just trying to deny [death],” she said. “I find it hilarious how the family handles the logistics.”

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While Shue only appears in flashbacks in the film, she shares most of her moments with Jonas, 31. The actress told Us that she gives her co-star “huge praise” for his performance, noting that the pair only had “two or three days” to squeeze in all the scenes.

“He had already made the whole film, with all the other [cast] in New Jersey,” she continued. “And honestly, I was a little worried. I usually like to spend a lot of time with the actors I work with. You develop a relationship. And we just showed up on set. … And immediately our relationship had to start, and he was just so nice. So present as an actor. It was just so nice to immediately feel that kind of trust. I'm very grateful for that.”

The Karate Kid actress added that the tight shooting schedule was in some ways beneficial as everyone was “energetic” and “motivated” to get the job done, which led to a relaxed atmosphere on set.

“It was so much fun because I got to shoot one scene after another with Nick and Brittany,” she enthused. “It was just such a beautiful experience.”

For spectators, The good half may not be an entirely “happy” experience—there are bound to be plenty of tears shed during its hour and 50-minute running time—but Shue believes the film will make people laugh, too.

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“I hope, and this is a little strange, that perhaps when her own death is imminent, [people] are not afraid to confront this reality with the people they love,” she said Us about what she hopes people will take away from the film. “I think it would be a great gift for people if they understood how chaotic these moments of loss are. And maybe [find] some compassion for each other that no one really does it right.”

The good half is now playing in selected cinemas and digitally.