Good American Family


Good American Family is an American drama limited series based on the adoption by Kristine and Michael Barnett of Natalia Grace, a child with dwarfism who the Barnetts decide to abandon after she starts to display peculiar behavior, falsely claiming she had been an adult pretending to be a child to justify doing so. Good American Family premiered on Hulu on March 19, 2025. The series received generally mixed reviews from critics.

Cast and characters

Main

Production

In August 2022, it was reported that Hulu had ordered a limited series inspired by true events of Natalia Grace's life, created by Katie Robbins. Ellen Pompeo signed on to star as Kristine Barnett and executive produce under her Calamity Jane banner, along with Laura Holstein. Sarah Sutherland, Mike Epps, Dan Spilo, Niles Kirchner, and Andrew Stearn also executive produce. The series's working title was "The Orphan".
Produced by 20th Television, the series is told from multiple points of view to "reflect the conflicting narratives of its central characters". Liz Garbus directs and executive produces the pilot. In March 2024, Mark Duplass was cast to play Michael Barnett. The real Barnett was the only person to sell the rights to their story for the series. The following month, Dulé Hill and Sarayu Blue were cast in recurring roles. By July 2024, principal photography was taking place in Santa Clarita, California.

Release

The eight-episode series was released weekly by Hulu, with a two-episode premiere on March 19, 2025. Internationally, Good American Family was made available to stream on Disney+.

Reception

Viewership

TVision, using its Power Score to evaluate CTV programming through viewership and engagement across over 1,000 apps, calculated that Good American Family was the sixth most-streamed series from March 17–23. The series ranked No. 1 on Hulu's "Top 15 Today" list—a daily updated list of the platform's most-watched titles—on March 25. The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks real-time data from 20 million U.S. users for original and acquired content across SVOD and AVOD services, reported that Good American Family was the eighth most-streamed program in the U.S. for the week ending March 26. TVision later estimated that the series was the eighth most-streamed show between April 7–13.
Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated Good American Family garnered 344 million minutes of watch time between March 24–30. It later recorded 376 million minutes of watch time from April 28 to May 4. The finale of Good American Family garnered 6.3 million views within its first six days of streaming. It became the third most-watched finale in Hulu's history and the most-viewed finale of 2025 to date across both Hulu and Disney+. Nielsen Media Research calculated that Good American Family drew 6.7 million U.S. viewers in its first 35 days, making it one of the most popular shows of the 2024–2025 season. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Pompeo noted that the success of the series surpassed initial expectations, including those held by Hulu.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Good American Familys ambitious use of perspective has some rewards, but it also makes for a lopsided and questionable dramatization of this sordid true story." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 60 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Cristina Escobar of RogerEbert.com stated that Good American Family initially feels like a typical Lifetime movie but praised how the series evolves into a complex exploration of morality and human nature. She found that while the first episode was melodramatic, the show shifted gears in the second episode, embracing horror and feminist themes. Escobar stated that the cast, particularly Imogen Faith Reid, delivered strong performances, and enjoyed how the show shifted perspectives. She also appreciated the series' thoughtful exploration of guilt, justice, and redemption, calling it a more complex show than it initially appears. Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly appreciated how Good American Family portrays the Natalia Grace case through shifting perspectives, with Ellen Pompeo and Imogen Faith Reid delivering strong performances. She praised the show for its suspenseful narrative, presenting conflicting accounts without fully endorsing one side, which adds to the tension. Baldwin highlighted the portrayal of Kristine Barnett as a controlling, image-obsessed mother, while appreciating Reid's ability to capture Grace's vulnerability and detachment. She stated that Good American Family hooks viewers, but leaves many questions unanswered, making it a gateway for further exploration of the real-life case.
Jazmin Aguilera of The Boston Globe found Pompeo's ability to convincingly play both Kristine Barnett's self-righteousness and her later descent into paranoia impressive, showcasing the character's multifaceted delusions. She also commended the series' Rashomon-style narrative, which effectively shifts perspectives, making each character's version of events feel authentic. While noting the show's occasional reliance on tired thriller tropes, she recognized its power in later episodes, where Reid's portrayal of Natalia Grace added depth to the story, revealing the complexity of her character and the abuse she endured. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian said Good American Family effectively presents the story of Natalia Grace by offering competing perspectives and a shifting timeline. He praised the show's ability to skew the "momfluencer" culture and highlight the rot underneath it, particularly through Pompeo's portrayal of Kristine Barnett. Lee found the series engaging as it moved from thriller to crime drama, with a solid performance by Reid. However, he noted the series struggled with tone, trying to balance sensationalism with moral reflection. Lee appreciated the performances of Christina Hendricks and Mark Duplass but found the show's visual aesthetic too plain for such a wild story. He stated that while those familiar with Natalia Grace's story might find less value in the series, it holds more significance for viewers unfamiliar with the case.

Accolades

Good American Family was nominated for Location Team of the Year - Episodic Television - One Hour at the 2024 California on Location Awards. The series was one of 200 television series that received the The [ReFrame Stamp|ReFrame Stamp] for the years 2024 to 2025. The stamp is awarded by the gender equity coalition ReFrame and industry database IMDbPro for film and television projects that are proven to have gender-balanced hiring, with stamps being awarded to projects that hire female-identifying people, especially women of color, in four out of eight key roles for their production.

Future

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Pompeo discussed the potential continuation of the series. She confirmed that the story of Kristine Barnett, her character, was complete, but revealed that conversations with Hulu had begun shortly after the finale regarding the show's future. Options included either extending the existing narrative if a good reason emerged or transitioning to an anthology format focusing on a different story in a subsequent season. Pompeo expressed particular interest in the anthology approach, noting that a new story was already under consideration. She stated that if the series moved in this direction, she would likely not return as an actor but would remain involved as a producer.