“Wildflower” Movie Review

 

“Wildflower”

 

Movie Review

 

 

 

In 2023, Matt Smukler and Jana Savage's coming-of-age movie "Wildflower," based on a story by Smukler and Savage, was released in the United States. Kieran Shipka, Dash Miho, Charlie Plummer, Alexandra Daddario, Reid Scott, Jacki Weaver, and Erika Alexander are among the cast members. Bea, the daughter of cognitively challenged parents Derek and Sharon, is the focus of the movie. After being declared brain dead during her final year of high school, the movie uses flashbacks to examine several facets of Bea's life, including her romantic engagement with fellow student Ethan.

 

 

Whether you want them to be or not, family is always there for you. It can be quite challenging to get along with and appreciate the individuals who are in your corner because of the conflicting personalities, viewpoints, philosophies, ages, and approaches to even the most trivial things. The things we take for granted might sometimes be drowned out by noise that is simply too loud. The touching movie Wildflower bravely questions how we view others while navigating the complexity of growing up from a very original perspective.

 

Bea Johnson, a high school senior played by Kiernan Shipka, has a different childhood than most of her contemporaries, and the director Smukler portrays her narrative. She is the sole offspring of cognitively challenged Sharon, played by Samantha Hyde, and Derek, played by Dash Mihok, whose growth was hindered when he was a young child due to a drunk driver's collision. Bea has had to mature considerably more quickly than usual as a result of these circumstances. Bea was helping her mother get ready for work and ensuring that her father was keeping track of their finances while other youngsters were watching cartoons and avoiding responsibilities. Bea was aware of her parents' differences from an early age, but she also understood that they loved her and just wanted the best for her promising future.

 

The movie actually opens with Bea in a coma in the hospital, surrounded by her parents and extended family, including her mother, Sharon's mother Peg, Sharon's sister and brother-in-law Joy and Ben, and Loretta, Derek's outspoken mother. Bea's story is portrayed nonlinearly. Bea's breaking-the-fourth-wall narration and conversations that the social worker Mary has a one-on-one with each patient at the hospital take us on a tour through her life from birth to the present before we learn exactly how she came to be in a coma. The use of narration in this case works well for the project because it gives the audience a close-up look at such particular circumstances.

 

Due to the large number of people that must be effectively established in both the past and the present, the fantastic ensemble both supports and occasionally detracts from the narrative. There are times when the plot feels distorted in order to give each character their due, but they all add to Bea's story and have an enjoyable payoff in the end. Given the difficulties her character faced in her marriage while raising Sharon and subsequently Bea when she was a newborn, it is no surprise that Jean Smart's performance is a deep and potent blend of optimism and heartbreak. As the parents of a child with intellectual disabilities, Smart and her husband Brand Garrett's performances are unvarnished, magnificent depictions of the worry and uncertainty that all parents experience. When Peg makes it plain that their daughter cannot raise a kid on her own, long-simmering anger and resentment break out. This causes an explosive quarrel that feels so real that the unstable fallout will leave you speechless.

 

 

The actress who portrays a young Bea, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, does a fantastic job of capturing both the innocence of childhood and the adult, hardened personality Bea has been forced to grow into. It's nice how the narrative makes sure to examine Bea's advantages rather than just focusing on her disadvantages. One scenario that comes to mind is when Bea grudgingly goes to her aunt and uncle for breakfast. They temporarily lodge her at a particularly tumultuous time in the Johnson household. Bea finds the way the family behaves abhorrent. The prim and proper twin boys consume a small amount of vitamins each morning, rely on their mother to give them instructions regarding their routine, and become utterly upset whenever anything that is not planned out in advance occurs. Bea may have had to forgo some childhood indulgences and may not have ever eaten vegetables, but she benefits from being independent and deliciously unfiltered. After all, pants are overrated at the breakfast table.

 

 

When the past and present are more in sync with one another and Kiernan Shipka assumes the role of Bea in both time periods, the drama really gets going. She gives Bea a razor-sharp edge and caustic wit that feel like a logical evolution from the Bea we knew as children. Bea becoming angry with her parents, who only want the best for their daughter, is both anticipated and tragic. Bea has little to no time to complete the chores or give her parents the same amount of attention as she used to because of the various directions her life is going in in terms of romance, career, and school.

 

 

The nuanced and frequently misunderstood personalities of Sharon and Derek are brought to life by Samantha Hyde and Dash Mihok. When Ethan, Bea's boyfriend, who hadn't been invited over to Bea's house, shows up unexpectedly with pizza, the two serve as the center of a beautiful and crucial sequence that occurs in the middle of the movie. Due to her shame of her parents, Bea has been dreading this unavoidable contact, but Sharon and Derek take command of the meet and greet and put everyone at ease with their hospitality. Ethan is immediately drawn to the welcoming atmosphere because he was not fortunate enough to experience it growing up. This serves as somewhat of a wake-up call for Bea, who was beginning to forget what was actually crucial. A lovely coming-of-age story, Wildflower emphasizes the challenges of maturation and teaches you to value those who value you in return.

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