If directors David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky went on a road trip through working class America to meet a long-lost cousin, surely filmmaker Theodore Schaefer would come along for the ride. That’s the vibe you get when watching Giving Birth to a Butterfly, Schaefer’s moving, sometimes haunting, yet thoroughly intriguing debut feature. Shot on pastel 16mm, this film drips with achiness as it follows a mysterious road trip taken by two relative strangers whose lives are brought together by chance.
If you’re into surreal, fantasy-like outings in the vein of Twin Peaks, or even one of those alt-universe Riverdale seasons, Giving Birth to a Butterfly should do the trick. What works in Schaefer’s favor, however, is that he grounds his story, which was co-written with screenwriter Patrick Lawler, in something relatable: a family surviving economic hardship and layers of unexpressed emotions.
The film stars Annie Parisse (Friends from College), Gus Birney (Dickinson), Rachel Resheff, Clifton Samuels, Paul Sparks, Cesar J. Rosado, Jessica Pimentel, and Orange is the New Black’s Judith Roberts, turning on the wow factor here.
A Working Class Family’s Big Surprise
Giving Birth to a Butterfly begins with a splash of “normalcy.” Diana (Parisse) works at a local pharmacy to help keep her family afloat financially. Husband Daryl (Sparks) is in his own world, feeding his unrealistic dreams much more than tending to his family’s real needs. There’s talk about launching a restaurant, but his job is heading nowhere, and he doesn’t seem to have it in him to do anything but tread water.
Diana and Daryl’s kids, Drew and Danielle (Resheff) are befuddled, too. Danielle works at a local theater, but Drew, perfectly content with working at a pet shop, shakes things up when he brings home a new girlfriend, Marlene (Birney). The girl is pregnant, but Drew is not the father. Diana looks on with concern, then swallows her frustration when Daryl invites Marlene and her child a home.
It’s here that the filmmakers give audiences something deeper to reflect on. You can see it in Diana’s eyes — what she’s not saying and, perhaps, has not been saying for years. It’s that she’s withering away inside. Perhaps she feels nobody really sees or hears her, or even has the bandwidth to realize she’s a human being, too, somebody with deep, complex feelings. It’s all in the facial expressions, and Parisse does an exquisite job capturing a woman trapped in the life she created. Who is this family she’s with?
One day, Diana is hit with another blow. She’s fallen victim to identity theft. Miffed that the online culprit will get away with it, she takes the initiative and decides to go after her money — basically by heading to the address where the product was shipped. In a bold move, she agrees to allow Marlene to come along, setting up the road trip movie of reflection that follows. Where it leads may surprise you.
A Road Trip Takes a Curious Turn
It’s not surprising that Giving Birth to a Butterfly has taken film fests on by storm. Parisse and Birney fuel this story and the supporting players, oddball as they are, give the film an extra layer of quirkiness. Some of that seems more forced than it needs to be, but the point is clear: Diana is surrounded by folks that never swim beneath the surface. Not really. Marlene seems different, however, and her relationship with her eccentric mother is a testament to how she’s maintained her sanity.
There’s a point when Diana and Marlene are on the road when the film gently swerves into a kind of ethereal otherworld. Similar to how Donnie Darko crept up on you, suddenly you find yourself in new creative territory. Diane and Marlene bond, realizing, perhaps, they’re each at different intersections of their lives. The result takes Diana, and audiences, into a place of deeper questioning.
As for the road trip itself, it’s truly visual and the way the film was shot adds to the dreamy touches throughout. You can’t but wonder how much of what you’re experiencing in the final third of the film is real, or something else entirely. On that note, kudos to Judith Roberts for turning in a scene-stealing performance as Nina. Audiences will be surprised by how all that plays out and its pivotal to Diana’s trajectory. And even Marlene’s for that matter. Roberts is perfectly cast in a role that’s bound to generate buzz.
Better still… the ending seems destined to sit with you long after viewing. Somehow it asks: if you truly had the chance to make your life better, would you? Would you give birth to your own butterfly? Deep. Pretty much.
Giving Birth to a Butterfly, from Cinedigm, is available for streaming exclusively on Fandor, the company’s indie discovery platform, and it will be available to rent on other digital-on-demand platforms in the U.S.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
