White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)

In 1988, a teenage girl's life is thrown into chaos when her mother disappears.

Director:

Gregg Araki

Writers:

Gregg Araki (screenplay by), Laura Kasischke (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shailene Woodley	...	Kat Connors
Eva Green	...	Eve Connors
Christopher Meloni	...	Brock Connors
Shiloh Fernandez	...	Phil
Angela Bassett	...	Dr. Thaler
Gabourey Sidibe	...	Beth
Ava Acres	...	Kat age 8
Thomas Jane	...	Detective Scieziesciez
Mark Indelicato	...	Mickey
Dale Dickey	...	Mrs. Hillman
Sheryl Lee	...	May
Michael Patrick McGill	...	Aaron
Jill Johnson	...	Secretary
Jacob Artist	...	Oliver
Brenda Koo	...	Cindy

Storyline

Kat Connors is 17 years old when her seemingly perfect homemaker mother, Eve, disappears in 1988. Having lived for so long in an emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother's absence and certainly doesn't blame her doormat of a father, Brock, for the loss. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve's disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother's departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it...

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Plot Keywords:

teenage girl | missing person | mysterious disappearance | mother daughter relationship | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

I was 17 when my mother disappeared...

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content/nudity, language and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

White Bird

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,962, 31 October 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$33,518, 5 December 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Desperate Pictures, Orange Studio, Why Not Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gregg Araki is a fan of Sheryl Lee's performance in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), which he called "one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema".

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Goofs

In the club scene Mickey appears to be holding a modern travel coffee mug, the type of which did not exist in 1988.

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Quotes

Kat Connor: Because I never saw my mother again, she remains in absence to me. An empty space. An invisible, half remembered ghost. So even now I catch myself thinking that I'm gonna run into her some day. Like I'll be at a stop light, and look over at the car next to me and there she'll be, scowling at me with disapproval. Or I'll spot her across some crowded street, or train station, and we'll run toward each other like one of those cheesy TV movies. She'll hug me like a long, lost lover, then take my ...

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Connections

References Eraserhead (1977)

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Soundtracks

Dazzle (Glamour Mix)
Written by Steven Severin, Siouxsie Sioux (as Susan Ballion),
Budgie (as Peter Clarke) and Robert Smith (as Robert James Smith)
Performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees

User Reviews

Almost Like An Unintentional Comedy

White Bird in a Blizzard is set in the 1988, and tells the story of Kat Conner, played by Shailene Woodley, a 17 year old girl who seems to live a normal life until her perfect, homemaker mother, Eve, played by Eva Green, disappears one day. Having lived in a dysfunctional relationship with her mother, she feels little pain or sadness towards her mother's absence. She doesn't even blame her father, Brock, played by Chris Meloni, as he is too much of a wimp to have anything to do with her disappearance. As a few years go by, and Kat goes to College, she begins to realize just how much her mother's disappearance really impacted her, as she finds herself investigating and discovering the truth about what really happened.

White Bird in a Blizzard is based on a novel by Laura Kasischke and adapted by director Gregg Araki. Simply put, it is a somewhat bizarre, silly, sex romp, featuring a great lead performance by Shailene Woodley. This film fits director Gregg Araki's usual teenage sex and violence overtones, and features some pretentious and overbearing dialogue that almost comes off as an unintentional comedy. There are also some interesting things in this film, directing-wise: an unusual opening with a shot of Eve, the mother, on her back and a recurring dream sequence throughout involves Kat seeing her mother naked in the snow (hence the title). This is actually supposed to be a symbol for the film and a clue to the audience about the truth of the mystery. Additionally, the film's use of flashbacks is both bizarre and fascinating at the same time, making the relationship between mother and daughter all the more dysfunctional and creepy.

In the lead role, Shailene Woodley demonstrates her talents portraying a teenager who really doesn't know who to trust. The flashback where her mother comes into the room and tries to psychically assault her features some very fine acting by Woodley. In comparison, Eva Green appears more "over the top' and gives a notably "hammy" performance, portraying a clearly disturbed woman. In one of the scenes, for example, when she tries to act younger than her age and then breakdowns, it is mildly disturbing and gloriously cheesy all at the same time. The other actors in the film are good, especially Chris Meloni as the father who has a secret to hide, and Angela Bassett as a psychiatrist.

Overall I thought this was interesting film, but I don't know what to really make of it.