It all starts with an intriguing idea for a movie. When that film has heart, you have a winning indie film. That film is Matt Smukler and Jana Savage’s feature film, Wildflower.
Wildflower is the story of teenager Bea Johnson (Kiernan Shipka). When we first meet Bea, she’s in a coma, surrounded by family. Bea’s coma is such that she can’t communicate with the outside world, but she can narrate her story and talk with the audience. Her first question is, “Where are her parents?”
We then leap to the past, where we discover that Bea’s parents are both intellectually disabled. Sharon (Samantha Hyde) was born with her disability and raised by her parents, Peg (Jean Smart) and Earl (Brad Garrett). In a moment of weakness, her overly overprotective parents let Sharon give their gardener, Derek (Dash Mihok), a glass of lemonade. Derek is also “special” like Sharon after a physically traumatic childhood accident.
“…Bea’s parents are both intellectually disabled.”
Derek and Sharon quickly fall in love and decide to get married. However, Derek’s mother, Loretta (Jacki Weaver), insists that Sharon be sterilized, and the insulted Peg refuses, and soon Bea is born. When Peg begins to smother the two parents, Derek decides to pack his family up and move to Vegas. The trio starts by living in a van until Derek earns enough money for a proper home.
The story shifts to CPS agent Mary (Erika Alexander), who must investigate Bea’s coma. Here, the intricacies of Bea’s relationship with her parents unfold. Yes, there are the “special” moments where the lines are blurred between Bea as a child needing to step up and take more adult responsibilities. For example, Derek needs to teach Bea how to drive…at ten years old in case there’s an emergency with Sharon. This leads to Bea’s first of many encounters with Mary.
As we move closer to the present, Bea is now a teenager who has the opportunity to attend private school, but it is still objectively poor. She’s bullied for being different and having parents who are different. Though she’s bright, her prospects for college look dim both financially and out of duty to her parents.
Lastly, there’s the boy, Ethan (Charlie Plummer). He’s the new kid in school who is smitten with Bea. He’s also a cancer survivor, which plays a huge in the story, but not in the way you expect. Though the two are in love, you can see that their relationship is complicated…and yes, in ways you don’t expect.
