Director Zach Braff returns to New Jersey with his thoughtful new feature A Good Person, hitting theaters nationwide March 31.

The MGM release follows Florence Pugh (Little Women, The Wonder) as Allison, a young woman whose life is irrevocably altered by a tragic accident. Though this narrative could easily fall into a straightforward story about a person who loses everything in an instant, A Good Person addresses addiction and grief through smart writing and well-developed characters.

The tentpole of the emotionally-resonant film is Allison’s unlikely and complicated friendship with Daniel (Morgan Freeman), a grandfather and guardian on his own journey with addiction. The challenging circumstances of their lives bring them together, and their connection provides some of the most poignant and riveting scenes in A Good Person, Braff’s fourth theatrical release as writer-director. It is a stunning showcase for Pugh’s remarkable talent – not that she needed one, with a highly impressive slate of performances in the past several years already placing her among the most gifted and versatile actors of her generation. She and Freeman, both Academy Award nominees, are as unlikely a pairing as Allison and Daniel themselves, but it creates an alchemic sort of magic. Their talents propel this story forward, in spite of the profound pain faced by their characters. Molly Shannon, Zoe Lister Jones and Chinaza Uche round out the gifted cast.

Certain portions of A Good Person feel messy on purpose; Braff makes it clear Allison’s life will not be neatly pasted back together. Parts of her story are irrevocably broken and irretrievably painful. But it is the hope of a future after loss – and becoming lost – that makes A Good Person about as hopeful a film anyone will see this year. Braff’s purposeful message drives the story forward and makes this feature worth sharing with loved ones who might be in need of a cathartic film-going experience. Whether or not we are grieving, wracked with guilt or battling addiction, Allison and Daniel and their families are us. In a cinematic era in which our “normal” heartbreaks are being relegated to the sidelines, Pugh and Freeman bring them back to the forefront with these outstanding performances.

“I have always aspired to infuse my writing with a mix of heartbreak and humor. That’s the kind of story I personally Iike best: tell me the truth, even if it hurts, then please God give me a chance to laugh through that pain.” -Zach Braff