Genre: Drama
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Emily Alyn Lind, Natalie Alyn Lind, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Aaron Stanford, Malina Weissman, John De Lancie, Dev Patel, Jason Beghe
Plot:
Just outside the principal’s office, a young girl, Bradie (Emily Alyn Lind), anxiously sits at the chair closest to the door, occasionally listening to the conversation inside. The principal of Appleton High School, Mr. Carson (Casey Affleck) gives sympathy to her mother Claudia (Reese Witherspoon) regarding the divorce of her and ex-husband Jack (Aaron Stanford), but that she must do something regarding her daughter - her behavior having spiraled. Claudia promises to talk to her as soon as they get home and wishes him a nice day. As soon as she gets out of the office, she motions for Bradie to follow her. The walk to the car and drive home is silent.
Upon arriving home, Bradie tries to rush towards her room but her mother takes her by the ear before doing so. She lavishes several insults at her before threatening her not to make a mockery of her or the family. Having no other option, Bradie assures her that she'll behave. As she rushes to her room, her older sister Selena (Natalie Alyn Lind) smirks, calling her lucky for getting such a 'small punishment' for her standards. Bradie does her best to ignore and locks the door to her room.
Bradie lies on her bed, looking at the miserable state her room is in. She ponders whether or not today will be the day she does some cleaning before getting up and finding her backpack on the floor. She unzips it, revealing her journal. She flips to the last page she wrote and looks at the page next to it. She thinks about what to write and thinks about the last few days and scowls, titling her poem 'The Ninth Circle of Hell'. As vague as it may be, her poem makes it clear that she despises her mother. Upon finishing, she glances at the bottle of antidepressants and takes her daily dose before unlocking and coming out for dinner.
At science class, Mr. Hoyer (Forest Whitaker) is holding a test for all the students. Brady stares at the piece of paper and tries her to concentrate, the words from yesterday still fresh in her mind. She decides to speed through the test as best she can, finishing just as they approach the halfway mark of class. Bradie gets out her journal and looks at the most recent poem she wrote. She turns the page and thinking about her dad and the situation she's under, titling it 'I Miss It'.
She writes like mad, trying to blink away hot tears as she silently recites her poem. Upon finishing, she lowers her head before being awakened by the school bell. In a rush, she unzips her backpack and rushes home. Mr. Hoyer sees that Bradie has forgotten her journal and picks it up, reading it. A concerned expression appears on his face after reading the two poems.
Back at home, Claudia is busy reading the newspaper when the doorbell rings. She puts on the sweetest possible demeanor on her face upon seeing Sonya (Malina Weissman), Bradie's best friend. Sonya asks if she can come over this week. Claudia apologizes, saying that Bradie has too much homework to deal with (even though Bradie is just coming out of her room). Sonya heads for home, quietly uttering the word 'bullshit' as Bradie tries to tell her mother she just finished. "Too bad," says Claudia and she demands her to clean up the attic.
Up in the attic, Bradie tries her best to sweep up the dust and put everything in its place before approaching a piano. She sits down on the chair and begins to play a few chords, constructing a tune. Hearing this, Claudia orders Selena to check on her. When Selena sees Bradie playing, she marches towards her and slams the fallboard onto her fingers. "Best to shut you up now before you keep going," utters Selena. Bradie asks her why she changed. She never used to be this mean. Selena doesn't answer the question, instead asking Bradie when she became such a smartass.
As their voices grow louder, Claudia forces herself upward demanding an explanation. Selena pushes the blame on Bradie for being insubordinate, claiming she was only trying to help her, proving so by reopening the fallboard. When Claudia leaves, Selena slams the fallboard onto Bradie's hands even harder than before and leaves her up there for the rest of the night.
The next day, a miserable-looking Bradie arrives at science class where Mr. Hoyer hands her the journal back and asks if everything is okay. She brushes him off, calling it none of his business before sitting at her desk. Like yesterday, Bradie has trouble focusing, only remembering what happened last night. She again blazes through her work before turning towards her journal to write another poem, titling it 'Nothing'. While remaining vague, Bradie vents about the turn life has taken and wishes to turn into nothing to end her misery.
She is about to finish when Sonya passes a piece of paper to her, asking if she wants to try hanging out tomorrow. Bradie whispers back saying her mom would kill her if she left the house without warning, Sonya tells her to stop worrying about her mother and worry about herself and enjoying life. Smiling back at her, she goes to finish her poem when the bell rings. Again in a rush she forgets her journal. Hoyer picks up the journal, reading the unfinished poem. Alarmed, he hurries to Carson's office and alerts him that Bradie may be having suicidal thoughts. Upon reading the poems, Carson expresses his concern and promises to talk to her mother about this.
That evening, Claudia tells Selena that she's going on a date and that she's in charge. She orders her to 'take care' of her sister. As she leaves, Selena checks Bradie's room only to find her missing. She heads outside and to her shock finds Bradie sitting in the front seat of her car, doors locked. Selena angrily bangs on the car door demanding she get inside this minute. Bradie cackles, calling it karma for last night before driving to Sonya's.
At a fancy restaurant, Claudia looks around for her date before hearing a warm, pleasant voice from a table not far away from her. She smiles, expressing her delight over finally having this night together and sits at the table with Carson. As the two receive their beverages, Claudia asks him how life has been since the death of his wife. Feeling solemn, Mr. Carson admits that life hasn’t been easy, but hopes that he’s been doing all he can to keep her legacy alive. He then asks Claudia how things have been since the divorce. She claims that she’s been rejuvenated and that life has never been better. Especially after winning custody of the kids. With that said, she constantly fears an alternate life where the man who sexually abused her won and shudders at the thought of what he’d do to them. Carson expresses sympathy for all the trauma she’s been under and assures her that she’s in a much better place. A few uneasy seconds pass before he asks how Bradie has been. Claudia claims that she’s fine, the two talked last night and she seems to be getting to her about her dad. Before things go further, their dinner arrives.
Inside Sonya’s house, Bradie and Sonya are busy playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on their Nintendo Switches when Selena slams the door open and lunges towards Bradie, grabbing her by the hair. Sonya tries to pry her off but is shoved aside. Selena forces Bradie outside the house, bashing her head onto the car window. Grabbing her by the shirt collar, Selena sends her flying onto the backseats and speeds back to the Hart household.
Upon returning, Selena pulls Bradie onto the ground and yells at her for dragging her out of the house because she couldn't stop being a little shit for five seconds. She chews her out, calling her a worthless fuck and a complete loser among other insults and asks if this is because she was separated from 'dear old dad'. She gets no answer, but it doesn’t matter to Selena. Why? Because daddy's never coming back. Something snaps inside Bradie afterwards, she jumps up on her feet and punches Selena, smashing her head on the door. The two continue to tussle until Selena stabs her with the car keys. All of a sudden, she sees police cars arriving and puts her hands up, dropping the keys onto the ground.
The next day, Claudia demands an explanation for last night's actions and Selena delivers a sob story on how Bradie disrespected her and how she was only trying to keep her from getting into trouble. Claudia doesn't even listen to Bradie, grounding her for a week and playfully telling Selena to 'not do it again'.Bradie storms up to her room, collapsing into her bed when she sees a toy dinosaur by her drawer and realizes she has to do an oral report on the cretaceous period tomorrow. The next day, Bradie struggles through a hastily written report, watching a crowd of students whisper at each other, attempting not to laugh. She stares at the piece of paper, crumples it up and runs out of the classroom.
Mr. Hoyer follows her, finding her sitting by her locker crying. After being asked what's wrong, Bradie admits that her home is broken. Her sister constantly bullies her, her mother thinks she's a delinquent and sometimes she thinks she's useless. Hoyer gets down to her level and tells her that she is a wonderful student and great person and would be willing to help her mother understand that. Bradie says that it's more than that, but at the last moment backs out of telling him about her dad.
Bradie stays by her locker, wondering if she did the right thing. The rest of the day is quiet with no noticeable incidents. The next morning, Bradie slips by the music room and sees several different instruments before coming across a guitar. She picks it up, reminiscing about the times when her dad would play a soft lullaby to send her to sleep. She sits down, strumming a few chords and making up a new song. Mr. Carson walks by, hearing the music and alerts her that the school bell has rung. Bradie tells him she got a hall pass. He steps inside and sees the pass. Before he leaves, Bradie begins to play a tender song on the guitar. Curious, Carson asks what song she's playing. Bradie admits she's making it up as she goes along, saying that sometimes the best things in life are the ones that are improvised.
That evening, Claudia is seen preparing the dinner table when she hears the doorbell. To her surprise, it's Mr. Hoyer. She cheerfully welcomes him inside and invites him for dinner. He appreciates the offer, but he wants to take the time to speak with her alone. Claudia acqueses, shooing Bradie and Selena away. The two sit down and immediately Hoyer brings up her treatment of Bradie. Claudia explains that Bradie is a sociopath. She likes to manipulate others for her own emotional gain and feels no remorse for her actions. It's always been this way, especially now that her father Jack is out of their lives.
Having never heard of Jack, Mr. Hoyer asks who he is. Claudia proceeds to tell the story of how he sexually abused her, forcing himself onto her one night without permission. She knew something was wrong with that man the moment they married with how he seemed idealistic and reactive. Suspicious, Hoyer asks why and how it happened. To which she claims is none of his business. She orders him to leave if he's going to be so disrespectful and tells him to talk to Jack. As Hoyer leaves, Claudia gets her phone and calls Mr. Carson. She tells him about what happened and how Bradie told him everything. He explains how he heard her playing music in the music room and gave her some good advice. Claudia tells him to stop it, reminding him of how manipulative, petulant and needy she is for attention.
During the morning, Hoyer asks several of his colleagues if they know a 'Jack Hart'. None of them do. All of a sudden, they hear shouting among other loud noises. Hoyer takes a peak and sees Sonya and Selena arguing, Bradie desperately trying to pull her friend away. Suddenly, Selena pushes Sonya aside causing her to lunge towards her and deck her with fists. Mr. Hoyer rushes towards the scene and breaks them up, sending them to Carson's office. Sonya explains that she saw Selena harassing her best friend and had enough. In a foul mood, Mr. Carson slaps a one day in-school-suspension to Bradie for 'instigating the fight' and suspends Selena and Sonya out of school for an entire week. As the three exit, Sonya threatens to expose their mother to the entire school. Furious, Selena gets out her phone and texts her.
That evening, Claudia calls Sonya's parents and tells her that her family was planning to go to Disneyland during the weekend and that Bradie could bring Sonya if she was interested. They accept the proposal. The next day, Sonya opens the door and finds Claudia. She explains that there had been a 'change of plans' and asks Sonya to follow her to the car. Confused, Sonya gets inside and the two travel to a distant remote land far away from Appleton County. The two then approach a cliff, Claudia telling Sonya to get out. Fearing her life, she steps out of the car wondering what is going on.
The screen cuts to black.
Mr. Carson delivers the morning announcements, revealing that Sonya Daniels had been killed via unknown circumstances. Mr. Hoyer's class mourns the loss of Sonya. He looks at his students, starting a speech on how life is unpredictable and to enjoy it while you can. Before he can get too far into it, Bradie rushes inside the classroom, staring him in the eyes and asking if it's true. With remorse, Hoyer confirms the news. Bradie crumbles onto the floor, crying out in loud sobs as Hoyer comforts her. She is sent home early as the emotional trauma is too much. Bradie sits in her room, weeping softly when she hears sirens from outside. She rushes into the living room where she sees a panicking Selena being handcuffed, begging her mother to stop them. Claudia shrugs, explaining she can't deny what she saw. Selena wanted revenge and took it too far. Bradie watches in horror as Selena is carried away, realizing that no one is safe from her mother's wrath.
That evening, Mr. Hoyer emails Mr. Carson saying that he'll be taking the day off to think about everything that has happened. Early next morning, he heads to the local diner to have some bacon, eggs and coffee. He sits down at a table when he hears a man asking if he comes around often and sits with him after getting permission. After getting to know him a bit, Hoyer learns that his name is Jack Hart. He expresses delight in meeting him, explaining the situation. A frown appears on Jack’s face and he begins to tell his side of the story. He reveals that Claudia made up the sexual abuse allegations, claiming to be jealous about his popularity in town. Claudia pretends to be the innocent, hardworking bystander but in actuality she's what she accuses her daughter of being. A sociopath. She never loved Bradie for whatever reason so he placed it on himself to give her the best life possible. When they got divorced and he lost custody of the girls, it broke his heart. To this day, he wishes he can see his daughters again.
Seeing the emotion on his face, Mr. Hoyer expresses great sympathy and encourages him to get the word out. It's more than that. Jack has been keeping up with local gossip. Apparently Claudia has been seeing another…
Later in the afternoon, Mr. Carson sits in his office when a furious Mr. Hoyer storms in, angrily confronting him about the relationship and how he could lie about being there for Bradie at her moment of need. Taken aback, Carson tries and fails to explain his actions. Hoyer grabs him by the collar, warning him that the story is going to go public and his reputation will suffer as a result. Security is called in to escort him out, but Hoyer leaves without assistance.
Sure enough, the story makes it onto local news and controversy swarms Claudia and Mr. Carson. Claudia paces back and forth, hands shaking as she holds her phone by her ear. She begs Carson to do something about the situation, but his hands are tied. Claudia says that there's one thing that can be done regarding Mr. Hoyer and he agrees. That afternoon, Mr. Carson tells him that due to his behavior and conflict of interest, he has no choice but to fire him. Realizing he has nothing to lose, Hoyer vows to sue not just him but Claudia and storms off.
That afternoon, Bradie finds Selena sitting on the couch having made it out of prison. Selena reveals that the allegations of their mother caused them to abort charges. With tears in her eyes, she apologizes to Bradie for everything and admits that her mother brainwashed her into believing her truth. The two seal their reunion with a warm embrace. That evening, Claudia has a nightmare regarding the town turning her back on her and falling for Jack and Bradie. In a rage, she heads to Bradie's room, a crazed look in her eyes. She forces Bradie off the bed and destroys all of her prized possessions before turning her attention to her, hitting and punching her with every fiber of hatred in her body. Selena wakes up, hearing her sister cry for help and rushes inside her room, shoving her mother away. She picks up her sister, carrying her to her room and places her onto the bed. Seeing how much of a bloody lifeless mess she is, she begins to call 911.
Inside the hospital, Bradie wakes up finding Mr. Hoyer and Selena. He reveals that he'll be taking her mother and Mr. Carson to court and that he won't be going at it alone. In walks Jack who sees the damage her mother has done and breaks into tears. He looks at her and promises that they'll reunite. Several minutes later, Hoyer introduces Jack to family friend and lawyer Jordan Cassel (Dev Patel). He tells Jack that he has been filled in on the details and will do all he can. On the opposite side, Mr. Carson tells Claudia that he has found the best lawyer in all of Appleton County, Barry Rivers (John De Lancie). He greets the two and assures them that he can put an end to this once and for all. The two then exchange plans to move away and marry once it's over.
The court date arrives, the honorable Judge Briscoe (Jason Beghe) preceding the case. Jordan and Barry give their opening statements and the trial begins. During the case, Barry trips up several witnesses with his strategy of jumping from question to question, giving them no time to rest. Finally it comes down to Jordan’s final witness. He calls Bradie to the stand and asks her to explain everything. She tells the jury of her mother’s abuse and shows some of the bruises on her arm. Claudia tries to defend herself to no avail. Bradie continues on, mentioning the mental and psychological trauma she has given not just her but her sister, providing evidence. Finally, Claudia snaps, calling Bradie a liar among other vicious insults. During her tirade, she accidentally admits to lying about the sexual abuse allegations and to murdering Sonya.
As the jury breaks for recess, Barry storms out of the courtroom, refusing to taint his reputation to save her’s. Desperate, Claudia turns to Mr. Carson for advice. Having heard everything, he snaps back, his trust being betrayed. She tormented Bradie and murdered her close friend. And now she must pay the price. He calls off the plan and walks out, leaving Claudia to face judgement alone. She is sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole, the judge telling her that the price isn’t enough for the hell she’s about to endure. As Claudia is led out the court-room by officers, the judge awards Jack full custody of the children. Overjoyed, Jack embraces Bradie and thanks Mr. Hoyer for everything.
The next day, Mr. Carson is fired from his position as school principal and Mr. Hoyer is instated as the new principal as a reward for his hard work and coming to the aid of Bradie when no one else could. Selena and Bradie begin going to therapy to talk out their issues and connect with each other more than ever. The final scene is graduation day, Bradie giving the keynote address. She gets out a piece of paper and reads one final poem ‘Gratitude’. In it, she summarizes the experiences she’s gone through in the last few weeks and says that anyone can overcome their struggles with a little help and urges others not to believe help will never come, because one day it will.
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