Judith and her husband Steve attend a self development camp off the British Columbia mainland at Gabriola Island. They bring their young daughters Stephanie and Emmy with them as other couples also do.
Judith (Ally Maki) is a Japanese Canadian. Her mother recently died and she pathetically, like Pig Pen in Snoopy, clings to her late mother’s blanket. She has very low self esteem calling herself a bad mother. She comes from a family she described as focused more on duty and responsibility than on love. She neither speaks Japanese nor knows very little of her parents and their internment during World War Two in British Columbia prisoner camps. Although attending the self development “camp” she scarcely knows why she is there. She can’t seem to define herself not helped by her parents ever explaining their internment. Judith is lost emotionally.
Steve (Luke Roberts), the husband of Judith initially appears well adjusted and seems somewhat puzzled why he is at the camp other than Judith wants him there. The blind leading the blind.
Their oldest daughter Stephanie (Nyha Breitkreuz) is a pre-teen seemingly the most adjusted in the family. Her younger sister Emmy (Remy Marthaller) suffers from anxiety and finds comfort with stuffed animals, a ball in the swimming pool and a big rock on the beach.
Then there is Pat (Chris Pang) and Carol (Sarah Gadon) the perfect couple in the eyes of Judith but if they are so perfect why the interest in Judith by Pat?
The self development retreat has couples agonize what is wrong attempting to set it right with a cheerful facilitator full of tired phraseology and interaction exercises. The pillow banging scene is hilarious and the film momentarily heads in a sarcastic direction. The racism shown mostly by the children is far from comedic.
Judith tries to initiate sex with husband Steve but that bombs. Then the wheels fall off the bus instead of going round and round as in the children’s story. Judith, Steve, Pat and Carol go to a karaoke bar outside the camp and a huge emotional explosion results in a near horrific tragedy.
If there is any saving of the relationship between Judith and Steve it is not attributable to the happy facilitator and the pillow banging exercises but in a moment of high anguish of Judith where in a few words she bears her tortured soul. The acting throughout is stellar and one can’t deny the range and talent of Maki. Gotta love that scene with her in the karaoke bar. What a voice she has!
The film is written directed by Meredith Hama-Brown a British Columbian. In a nutshell the film exposes questions relating to fear and insecurity, distressed family, motherhood, grief, shame, intergenerational trauma and racial identity.
The film shows as part of the TIFF Discovery Programme.
RKS 2023 Film Rating 92/100.
The film shows 8 and 9 September 2023.
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