Summary
- Wildflower is a personal and authentic film based on the real-life experiences of the director’s niece and her neurodivergent parents.
- The film gained attention when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and later became available on Hulu.
- Originally a short film and documentary, Wildflower was developed into a feature film to showcase the ups and downs of Bea’s journey and explore the complexities of her relationships with her parents.
The Wildflower true story is inspired by real-life people and events, directed by Matt Smukler from a screenplay by Jana Savage. Wildflower follows Bea, a teenager who was born to intellectually delayed parents. The film’s story is a very personal one, and it has the advantage of pulling from the life of someone whose story becomes crucial to the film. Starring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka, Wildflower had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
At the time, the film was compared to Apple TV+’s Best Picture-winning CODA, because it depicted the child of parents with a disability, although Wildflower still stands on its own. While the film was ultimately released in theaters in March 2023, it garnered more attention when it landed on Hulu a few months later. Wildflower pulls from real life, and much of the happiness, struggles, and conflicts Bea and her parents face throughout the film are influenced by people in Smukler’s own life.
Wildflower Ending Explained
Inspired by a documentary of the same name, Wildflower tells a compelling story with many confusing elements.
Wildflower Is Based On Director Matt Smukler’s Niece & Her Parents
Wildflower is based on Smukler’s niece and her parents. Smukler and Savage saw the potential for the story about the family to be turned into a lighthearted fictional narrative with a real-life slant. Like Bea, Smukler’s niece is also the daughter of two neurodivergent parents. Bea’s life with her parents being based on someone so close to the director gives Wildflower a fair amount of authenticity, all while showcasing the ups and downs of Bea’s journey throughout the film.
While the drama/comedy is based on (and grounded by) real people, the cast gave their unique takes on their characters. Kiernan Shipka, who played Bea, explained what she wanted to bring to the character (via The Wrap).
“
I really think that for [my character,] Bea, the central challenge is navigating whether or not she wants to go to college and live a life that she maybe hasn’t really dreamt out for herself because she hasn’t had time, or stay where she is … Grappling with that and growing into the woman that she is becoming was the central point for me … There’s some really dark moments and some moments where she has to really kind of explode.”
Wildflower Was Originally A Short Film For Smukler’s Niece’s College Applications
Wildflower wasn’t always a feature — it started as a short film, then a documentary, meant to be a companion video essay for Smukler’s niece’s college applications. While filming the initial companion piece, Smukler saw first-hand how much joy was in the family’s lives and decided that it would make for an inspirational, coming-of-age story. There was so much more the director wanted to show about the family, and a feature film was just the thing to bring that all to life.
Smukler also saw how exceptional his niece was, which fueled him to expand upon the initial story that he followed for his niece’s companion piece. The documentary provided the groundwork for what would become Wildflower, but Smukler went to his screenwriter with the footage first, and that’s when he and Savage began talking seriously about a feature.
The director didn’t want to make Wildflower at first because he had spent a few years working on the companion piece for his niece, but it was decided to give the film a boost with some comedy, which provided an entry point into Bea’s life. In a matter of weeks after the decision was made to make a feature film, the screenplay was written, and Kiernan Shipka quickly joined the cast. The rest is history.
Wildflower
Wildflower is a comedy-drama film that follows Bea and her two neurodivergent parents, Sharon and Derek. After an accident leaves Bea in a coma, the movie explores various critical moments throughout her life through flashbacks.
- Release Date
- March 17, 2023
- Director
- Matt Smukler
- Cast
- Kiernan Shipka , Dash Mihok , Charlie Plummer , Alexandra Daddario , Brad Garrett , Reid Scott , erika alexander , Kannon Omachi
- Writers
- Jana Savage , Matt Smukler
- Distributor(s)
- Momentum Pictures
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
