Bibliographic Information:
Title: Wildflower
Executive Producer: Matt Smukler
Network: Momentum Pictures
Release Date: 2022
Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Plummer, Samantha Hyde, Dash Mihok, and more.
Age Rating: R
Genre / Format of the Title: Drama, Comedy, Coming of Age / Film
Plot Summary:
Bea, short for Bambi, has had to be the head of her household since a child - mostly because her parents both have mental disabilities that put them mentally at the age of 12/13 respectively, no matter how old they grow. For Bea’s dad it was an accident when he was 12 that stopped his brain from developing further, for her mom part of her brain simply never developed. Due to this Bea has been working since she was fourteen, driving a car since she was ten (illegally), and helping pay the bills the entire time. Now in her senior year of high school, a new boy has taken an interest in her, her guidance counselor wants her to apply to schools other than the local community college, and her parents still need her - or at least she thinks so. When trying to determine if she should remain a caretaker for her entire life, or start her own independent journey, Bea enters a coma that slowly helps her come to terms with what she needs to do with her life.
Creator Background:
Matt Smukler is relatively new to the film world, having been a director of music videos and commercials for years, but Wildflower is his feature length directorial debut. His actual website is barebones outside of showcasing the multiple commercials he has done. Apparently, this story is much more personal than Smukler first led people on to believe: the main character, Bea, is actually his niece. Outside of this, there is not much known about Smukler as he seems to be a very private person (Hullender, 2023).
Critical Evaluation:
Although I enjoyed this movie, I do have some critiques for it: largely how uncomfortable it was when Bea was training her dog Godzilla to follow her commands with treats, and then employed doing the same thing with her autistic mother. Honestly, it was just something that did not sit right with me (no matter how true it may have been based). Outside of this one scene, it was really an enjoyable movie. There were some critics on the internet (civilians, not professionals) that took issue with Bea’s mom being a somewhat flat character, but I think the issue they really had was that the story centered on Bea, so we did not see enough of her mother to see a large character arc.
I do think this movie has a great lesson though: as Bea’s boyfriend points out, she almost thrives on needing to take care of someone. It almost gives her a reason to exist, instead of looking inward to herself for a purpose, she assumes her parents cannot take care of themselves and therefore she has to. In reality, her parents are capable, they have just allowed Bea to take the reins - but if needed they could take on the responsibility again. This is an important lessen, because it is a reminder that just because someone may have different capabilities or circumstances than us, does not always mean that they are incapable of taking care of themselves.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Given that Bea needs help with fundraising for both fun trips as well as college, I think this would be a great time to create a “preparing for college - life skills program” at the library. Introducing things like financial aid, aptitude tests for majors, how to write a college essay, how to fill out FAFSA, and more. These are things that not all teenagers have the financial ability to ask for help with, so having a free resource, and program, would be beneficial.
Speed-Round Recommendation:
While retracing her steps through her memories deep in a coma, Bea begins to piece together her life in recent months and exactly how she ended up in a hospital bed with a CPS agent interviewing her friends and family. Through her memories we learn her situation with her parents, her best friend, her new boyfriend, and the way she seems to be spiraling when deciding what to do with her future. If you feel like you need some perspective on how to go forward with growing up, this movie certainly gives it.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
While the rating of R does make this movie restricted to adults, or teens with permission, I think it is an important inclusion for a collection as it is based on a real story and also shows the reality of a lifestyle that may be different than their own. There will certainly be issues with the fact that there is drug and alcohol use by teens in the movie, as well as cursing, and questionable consent. As for the defense of the item, I would argue that no one should watch it because they have to, but because they want to. The ALA and the Library Bill of Rights claim that librarians cannot censor legal information, and given that this movie is not considered obscene by ALA standards, it does have a place within the collection.
Reason for Inclusion:
While there is still the issue with diversity and inclusion in media, most of the time it is included means that the main character is the one who is being represented - this movie shows the effects of life when it is your parents who are, and when you have to take control of the family at a young age. Due to this, I think it is a great movie to include in the collection because it gives another perspective that is not always told.
References:
Hullender, T. 2023. Wildflower director on turning his family’s true story into loving fiction.
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