GOODBYE JUNE Review by Leslie Combemale
At this point, there are holiday movies for every taste and interest. There are the ubiquitous Hallmark films with failing family tree-lots or failing inns, slasher Santas, zombies, and killer Krampuses for horror fans, and there’s even a sub-genre of prince and princess Christmas films. Another genre that appeals is what I call “walking in a weepy wonderland”, the films in which sudden loss or cancer death is a major feature, and yes, there’s an audience for it. Occasionally, a film from that holiday subgenre rises above the rest, often because of the impressive ensemble cast. The Family Stone is a great example. This year, a new addition likely to have broader appeal is Kate Winslet’s directorial debut, Goodbye June, not least because of its stellar cast.
Goodbye June tells the story of a family grappling with the imminent loss of their matriarch June, played by Helen Mirren. Her cancer has returned with a vengeance. That causes the family to scramble to bring everyone together for a final goodbye and a celebration of the holiday early, so she can take part. Eldest child Julia (Kate Winslet) spearheads the planning, while 30-something unlaunched son Connor (Johnny Flynn) tries to stuff his sadness, and stay-at-home mom and middle child Molly (Andrea Riseborough) silently fumes she’s not as involved in the decisions. Family escapee and new ager Helen (Toni Collette) rushes to get home from LA. June’s ineffectual, self-absorbed husband Bernie (Timothy Spall) just waits to be told what to do, all while nurse Angel (Fisayo Akinade), who is acting as a unofficial death doula, tries to keep June comfortable while focusing on giving the family a “good goodbye”.
First time screenwriter Joe Anders shows both a talent beyond his years, and an inexperience that results in choppy character development the actors must overcome by performance. The family in Goodbye June is a bit of a disaster, but one many of us can recognize. Characters read on paper as cardboard archetypes, including the tightly-wound oldest child, the woo woo, hippy-dippy and disconnected LA expat, the organic-obsessed angry, rebellious daughter, the shaggy-headed, directionless man-child still living at home, and bumbling, clueless dad, but they all have anchors in real life. There’s at least one in each family. The a selfless, insightful nurse with the heart of gold as yet another trope. The thing is, recognizable archetypes endure because they exist in the wild. Viewers will find connection to various characters and their stories, and will grow more connected as the performances and several well-written scenes bring more layers and dimension to the whole picture.
There’s no question a few of the story elements and traits these characters have are a bit on the nose, like the empathetic nurse being named Angel, for a start. While everyone gets their time to shine, both in terms of character and performance, resolution to some of the character arcs comes a bit out of the blue. All that being said, the performances are exceptional, and Winslet’s collaborators below the line turn in great work. Expect beautiful visual storytelling and poignant scenes that will stay with you. Those between Winslet and Riseborough as sisters Julia and Molly, and Flynn and Spall as Connor and Bernie are particularly powerful. There’s also enough humor, though most of it dark in nature, to brighten a movie that might otherwise be too pervasively sad.
It’s true that Goodbye June will not be for everyone. Watch it too soon after loss and it will leave you exhausted, watch it while in high spirits and it will leave you depressed. Watch it in that sweet spot of time when a personal loss is still fresh enough to be bittersweet, but distant enough to allow for nostalgia and good memories, and the film will become a new holiday favorite.
4 out of 5 stars.
