The Good Life (1996)
The Good Life (1996), directed by David Trueba, starring Fernando Ramallo and Lucía Jiménez.
score
The best life-lesson is from the one you least expect
Synopsis
Tristan is about to turn fifteen. He enjoys the good life his parents have built for him. And yet, it won't be long before his environment of protection, affection and comfort crumbles. From then on, he will learn the taste of loneliness, sadness and that survival is often more important than life.
- William LubtchanskyCinematography
- David TruebaDirector, Writer
- Ángel Hernández ZoidoEditing
- Ana HueteProducer
The Good Life Collection
The franchise in release order. 2 films.
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La buena vida 1996 · you are here
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Casi 40 2018
About the film
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.
Read the full article (1k characters)
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
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
See also
List of Spanish films of 1996
References
External links
The Good Life at IMDb
Text from The Good Life (1996 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Life_(1996_film)
Trivia
- It premiered on December 13, 1996, a Friday.
- It runs 1h48 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "La buena vida".
- It won 1 award(s) and received 0 nomination(s) on record at Wikidata — Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor among them.
- It is film 1 of 2 in the The Good Life franchise.
- This film's quiz has 12 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosOlmo Films, Academy, Kaplan, L Films
- CountriesFrance, Spain
- LanguagesSpanish
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Awards
- Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor 1996
Cast
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Fernando Ramallo
Tristán -
Lucía Jiménez
Lucía -
Luis Cuenca
Abuelo - Isabel Otero Isabelle
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Joel Joan
Claudio -
Vicky Peña
Madre -
Jordi Bosch
Padre - Alma Rosa Castellanos Marilyn Arena
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Muntsa Alcañiz
Tía Carmen - Orestes Gas Anton
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Robert Jeantal
Don Pascual - Eloi Yebra Félix
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Jesús Bonilla
Asistente social -
Ramón Barea
Psicólogo -
Alicia Hermida
Flora - Fernando Vivanco Banquero
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Isidoro Fernández
Profesor matemáticas - Concha Doñaque Profesora ciencias
- John Hopewell Profesor inglés
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Antoine Duhamel
Profesor música
Quiz about this movie
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As Herdeiras
6.4
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Aqui
6.5
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Hardball - O Jogo da Vida
6.5
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Sujo
6.8
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O Refúgio
6.1
Crew
- William Lubtchansky Cinematography
- David Trueba Director
- Ángel Hernández Zoido Editing
- Ana Huete Producer
- Cristina Huete Producer
- Fernando Trueba Producer
- David Trueba Writer
Questions about this film
What is The Good Life about?
The Good Life: Tristan is about to turn fifteen. He enjoys the good life his parents have built for him. And yet, it won't be long before his environment of protection, affection and comfort crumbles. From then on, he will learn the taste of loneliness, sadness and that survival is often more important than life.
Who directed The Good Life?
The Good Life was directed by David Trueba in 1996.
Who stars in The Good Life?
The cast of The Good Life includes Fernando Ramallo, Lucía Jiménez, Luis Cuenca, Isabel Otero and Joel Joan.
How long is The Good Life?
The Good Life runs for 108 minutes, or 1h48.
What awards did The Good Life win?
The Good Life has 1 recorded awards, among them Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor.
What is the correct order of the The Good Life Collection films?
The The Good Life Collection franchise has 2 films in the catalogue. In release order: La buena vida; Casi 40.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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