When Michael Taylor (Reynolds) is heading home for his sisters graduation and seeing his rather estranged family, a tragic accident occurs which sees his mother (Roberts) die in a car crash. Through this tragedy we are taken on a journey back to Michael’s childhood and why he does not get along with his father (Dafoe).
This film really helps to show that families always keep secrets from one another and everything is never as it appears on the outside. Michael had a tough childhood and was never good enough for his father Charlie, who used to bully him. Lisa’s sister Jane (Watson) helped Michael during a summer she spent with the family.
While we are taken on the emotional journey of how your childhood can really affect you as an adult and that it can take a lot to forgive and overcome these traumas. We are left at the end of this film feeling slightly unsatisfied with unanswered questions wondering what exactly the big secret of the family was!
Ryan Reynolds actually does put in a good performance as the tortured Michael who has written a book “fireflies in the garden” about his childhood and life. Which we find out would ruin his father, well I never really understood that Michael would suddenly decide not to have his book published after the trauma his father put him through. I really did find Reynolds good in this role a very convincing performance.
Parts of the film are difficult to watch as you are not entirely sure which way it is going to go when Michael is punished by his father. He forms a very close relationship with his Aunt who is not really too much older than he is. They still have that relationship when they are older.
I cannot really decide if I liked this film or not. I think parts are quite hard-hitting and then we are left with unanswered questions which makes parts of the film pointless.
Anyone else seen this film and have any views on it?
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I suspect that the Aunt is actually his sister from a teen pregnancy and the father always somewhat resents his wife and the dynamics he has left/ chosen.
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I believe it is about Aunt Jane’s secret. She got to he family house to spend a summer and the next day of her arrival she was supposed to go to the hospital. In the present she threathens Michael about his book saying it would kill his father and her children and husband. And Michael acts as if he didnt know what she was talking about. So I believe it has to do about her teen pregnancy and an abortion which Charles took her to have it done.
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