‘Wildflower’ Review – A Formulaic, But Charming Kiernan Shipka Led Coming-Of-Age Drama

In general, I’m a sucker for coming-of-age films. I love the drama of firsts: first kiss, first love, first rebellion, and first taste of independence. I really appreciate when a coming-of-age film attempts to do something different and shine a light on different types of family situations that teenagers deal with. Wildflower attempts to tackle the subject of a teenager growing up with mentally disabled parents, and, although the rest of the film follows the usual beats of the genre, it is mostly enjoyable.

Kiernan Shipka takes the lead as our heroine, Bea. Within the first ten minutes of the film, an accident results in Bea falling into a comatose state. She sardonically narrates the film in flashbacks as we find out the history of her family, friends, and school life. Bea’s parents, Derek (Dash Mihok) and Sharon (Samantha Hyde), are both mentally disabled individuals who married and conceived a child largely against the wishes of both of their families.

From the time she was a child, Bea has had to shoulder most of the responsibility within her household. And although her aunt (Alexandra Daddario) and uncle (Reid Scott) do their best to make sure she’s taken care of, Bea feels a responsibility to her parents and making sure they’re okay. The film explores her delicate, and sometimes impossible attempt, of being a normal, rebellious teenager as well as the most responsible person in her household.

The coming-of-age portion of the film is largely formulaic but works because of Shipka’s quirky portrayal. Although she’ll always be Sabrina Spellman-Morningstar to me, I love seeing Shipka stretch her acting chops. She is strong and captivating in the role, and you can’t help but be drawn to her.

Shipka’s chemistry with Charlie Plummer, who portrays her love interest, Ethan, is also another great touch. The two are so sweet and innocent together, and I found myself hoping they were a couple in real life. There’s such a beauty and sweetness to the pairing, and Shipka and Plummer do a great job of believably bringing to life the love, care and tenderness between the two.

Erica Alexander, of Living Single fame, appears as a social worker investigating Bea’s family. Jean Smart, Brad Garrett, and Jackie Weaver round out the rest of the cast as Bea’s perpetually bickering grandparents.  Mihok and Hyde do a decent job of portraying Bea’s parents, although there are some scenes with their characters that are supposed to be comedic but end up being uncomfortable when you account for their character’s neurodivergent states.

The film explores some interesting themes that I would have loved to see expanded on. For example, Plummer’s Ethan battled cancer when he was a child, and there’s a scene in the film in which Bea almost wistfully anticipates that it will return so that she can take care of him. Ethan doesn’t react to this well, but the scene briefly explores Bea’s psyche of being the person who dedicates herself to taking care of the people she loves, even if it means sacrificing her own future. That idea alone could have been the basis of a film, and it was such a tantalizing, well-acted portion of the film.

All in all, Wildflower, is an endearing, heartfelt coming-of-age story that unpacks the highs and lows of growing up, taking care of your parents, and finding your own identity.

Wildflower will be in select theaters beginning March 17 courtesy of Momentum Pictures. The film will available On Demand and on Digital platforms on March 21, 2023.