Wildflower

Bea is the daughter of two intellectually disabled parents. From a young age she is the functioning part of the household: she pays the bills, makes the appointments and calms the war between two extended families. When university comes, the question is not whether she wants to go but whether she can. Matt Smukler directed. Kiernan Shipka plays Bea, Samantha Hyde and Dash Mihok the parents, with Jean Smart, Brad Garrett, Alexandra Daddario and Jacki Weaver as relatives. The story comes from the director's own family; Smukler had already made a documentary about his niece on the same subject. Its honest quality is refusing either to sanctify the parents or to present them as a burden; Bea's love and her exhaustion sit together. The narration is framed as a flashback from a coma after an accident, and that frame works more as decoration than necessity. Shipka's performance is the strongest element. Who it is for: viewers who like coming-of-age drama about caring responsibility at home. Who it is not for: anyone expecting hard realism; the film keeps softening its tone.