Now Showing: Rediscovered Harmonies

 

Rediscovered Harmonies

Genre: Drama

Director: Marielle Heller

Writer: Ben Collins

Cast: Emilia Jones, Caitriona Balfe, Stanley Tucci, Sophie Thatcher, Lana Condor, Sabrina Carpenter, Leven Rambin, Danielle Brooks, Chris Messina

Plot: A girl named Alice (Emilia Jones) is singing a song on the school stage, in full view of the audience including the proud Luke (Chris Messina) and Vivien (Caitriona Balfe). The audience applauds her and she smiles too when she notices that her mother, a doctor, has left in a hurry halfway through her performance.

Later, Luke is in the parking lot waiting for his daughter to leave school. When he sees her, the two run towards each other and celebrate Alice's extraordinary performance. When they are about to get into the car she asks her father why her mother left. He says that she had an emergency at work and Alice replies that her mother is always busy and never has time for her. Luke understands her daughter's needs and after reassuring her, he throws her the car keys and suggests that he drive to her house so she can train for the driving license test that she would have to take soon. .

The two joke and confide in each other, showing a very affectionate and complicit relationship. Alice suddenly tells Luke that she would like to be a singer and he encourages her to follow her dreams. Luke also tells her that he has a surprise for her and shows her a ticket to a concert of Taylor Swift, her favorite singer. Alice is enthusiastic and hugs her father, thanking him and screaming with joy until her father, laughing at her, tells her to look at the road. Shortly afterwards Alice and Luke stop at the traffic lights. Alice turns up the radio and starts singing along with her father. The two are happy and carefree. Suddenly, behind them, a horn is heard and a truck with brake problems comes at full speed from behind and hits them violently. The car is thrown forward and is then hit squarely by another car coming from the opposite direction, finally the car ends up crashing into a pole. The scene cuts to a close-up of Alice screaming as the glass shatters.

Alice suddenly wakes up in hospital, with a face full of bruises and plasters and with severe pain in her ribs. Vivien is at her side and looks at her with concern but also joy when her daughter wakes up. Alice, after smiling at her mother, asks her about her father and Vivien, with her eyes swollen from her pain, tries with difficulty to find the words to say that Luke was dead. Alice doesn't believe it and starts crying desperately, saying through her tears that she was the one driving and that it's her fault. Vivien tries to console and reassure her, but Alice rejects her and tells her to leave her alone. Vivien leaves the room, tears in her eyes.

After a couple of days Alice returns home, after having been discharged from the hospital. The house is full of flowers and condolences. Alice enters her room and sees a poster of her favorite singer. She remembers her father's last words and the note he had given her and she starts crying. She picks up the phone and listens to a song that reminds her of Luke. She withdraws into herself and begins to hum with tears in her eyes.

The next scene shows the weeks passing. You see pictures showing how Alice changes her behavior and appearance. Alice starts skipping school, going out with her friends and talking to her mother who somehow tries to stay close to her. Alice begins to eat less and less and sometimes even vomits. Alice is definitely losing weight and appears paler and above all sad. Alice takes refuge more and more in music and in the memory of Luke. Vivien tries to help her, but Alice rejects her and accuses her of not understanding her, making her mother feel helpless and frustrated with her when she offers to take her to a psychologist and Alice slams her room in her face.

One evening Alice and Vivien are at the table and Vivien tries to get Alice to eat, but the girl says that she is not hungry and she just moves the fork on the plate without taking the food. Vivien insists and tells her that she must eat to feel better and stay strong. Alice gets nervous and tells her to leave her alone. Vivien gets angry at her and tells her that she has to react and move on. Alice tells her that she misses her father and she can't go on without him because she does. Vivien tells her that she too has lost Luke, but that she hasn't given up. After a sour and piqued response from her daughter, Vivien loses control of her and tells her that it was her fault. Alice is shocked and jumps up while Vivien immediately realizes what she said and tries to apologize but Alice pushes her mother away and runs into her room, closing the door. Vivien follows her and tries to enter, but Alice locks the door and tells her to leave. Vivien knocks on the door and tells her to open it, but Alice doesn't answer. Vivien despairs and leans against the door, crying. When she hears that her mother is crying something seems to snap in Alice and she whispers to her mother that the situation is getting out of hand and that she needs help.

Vivien accompanies Alice to psychologist Henry Wilcox (Stanley Tucci). While Alice is sitting in her waiting room, she is wearing headphones and biting her nails, visibly tense, nervous and perhaps internally scared. In the meantime, her mother is outside arguing on the phone with an operator from the insurance company. In an effort to calm herself down, Alice decides to go to the bathroom. She looks at herself in the mirror, noticing the paleness of her face despite her attempt to apply makeup to appear more normal. Nervous, she begins to sing for some comfort, not realizing that the sound is spreading through the half-open door. The melody, unexpectedly, reaches the attentive ear of Henry Wilcox, who approaches the door of her study. When Vivien finally hangs up Alice is walking back to the waiting room. The doctor, also intrigued by the music he heard, invites Alice to enter her study. The girl looks visibly nervous. Wilcox gently begins talking to Alice, trying to make a connection. He notices the tension in her and, kindly and skillfully, encourages her to share her thoughts. Alice, initially reluctant, slowly begins to confide. The doctor, understanding, reassures her, suggesting that it might be useful for her to spend some time in the recovery center he manages. He proposes an approach that could help Alice process her grief and find a way to deal with her suffering. The girl, although hesitant, seems open to the idea of receiving help and she begins to consider the possibility of undertaking this healing journey under the guidance of Henry Wilcox.

Over the next night, Alice thinks hard about Dr. Wilcox's offer. Her thoughts oscillate between fear of the unknown and the hope of finding relief from her pain. Ultimately, the desire to overcome her difficult situation prevails over her and she, with a mature decision, decides to accept the help offered to her. The following morning, an air of change pervades the house. Alice reaches her mother, who welcomes her with an expectant look. In a calm but firm voice, Alice communicates her decision to accept Dr. Wilcox's offer. Vivien, although surprised, shows an encouraging smile accepting the girl's choice. They start packing together, creating a seemingly pleasant atmosphere. They exchange stories, light memories and some muffled laughter. The uncertainty of the future is still present, but there is a feeling of unity and hope in the room. Between folded clothes and sorted personal effects, mother and daughter share a moment of complicity that seems to soothe past tensions. Vivien, although her heart is heavy, is grateful that Alice agreed to receive help.

Alice arriving at the recovery community, with her suitcase. The community is located in a villa surrounded by greenery, with a garden and a swimming pool. Alice is welcomed by Dr. Wilcox who, after complimenting her, explains the rules and purposes of the program. Alice listens with apparent indifference and appears almost suspicious. He tells her that he hopes she will be fine and introduces her to Hanna Swanson (LEVEN RAMBIN) the educator who takes care of the girls. Anna is a nice young woman, who tries to be friendly and understanding with Alice. Alice answers her in monosyllables and follows Anna as she shows her the structure and finally her room. Alice enters what will be her room, which she will share with two other girls. Alice sees that the room is small and spartan, with two bunk beds, a couple of wardrobes and a desk. Alice also sees her roommates. Hannah introduces them to her and their names are Sarah (Sophie Thatcher) and Luna (Lana Condor). Sara is a punk with very black hair and piercings, who listens to music at full volume with headphones while Luna seems to be a nerd with glasses with a dozen books on the bed and who is studying on the computer. After Hannah leaves, Alice greets the two coldly and sets about sorting out her things. Sara and Luna look at her with curiosity and try to make conversation, but Alice ignores them and remains silent.

Alice participates in her first group therapy, together with the other girls. Alice sits in a circle with the other girls including Sarah, Luna and the blonde Eve who comments contemptuously and derisively on the new arrival Alice receiving a light elbow on her side from Sarah to keep her quiet. Shortly thereafter, Hannah and Dr. Wilcox arrive. Hannah asks the girls to introduce themselves and tell whatever they want about their personal stories. The various girls begin to talk, some in a more confident manner and others in a more timid manner. Sarah says she started drinking to escape family problems and to rebel against society. Luna says she started suffering from panic attacks due to school pressure and bullying. Eve instead says that she started cutting herself to vent her pain over something she had done in the past. When it's Alice's turn, she looks around and says that she has nothing to say and that she would rather not say anything for fear of being judged while her eyes fall on Eve who looks at her with a teasing smile. Hannah tries to encourage her to talk and trust but Alice refuses and says she doesn't need anyone. Alice begins to whisper something incomprehensible and is urged by Eve to speak louder. Alice at that point blurts out and jumps up saying that the most important person to her was her father and that now he is dead because of her and that she hates herself for it. Alice ends by screaming, saying that at night she keeps repeating to herself that she should have died and not her father. The other girls remain speechless, Luna and Sofia try to cheer her up but Alice pushes them away and runs away. Eve, however, remains petrified when she hears the reason for Alice's pain. Alice continues running out into the garden with the thought of escaping the facility and she meets Gloria (Danielle Brooks), one of the nurses who is carefully arranging the flowers. The two start talking, Alice is convinced to stay with her and help her arrange the flowers. Gloria gives Alice a flower seed saying to plant it and that she will have to make it grow and take care of it herself. Meanwhile, Dr. Wilcox looks out the window and smiles at the scene.

At the end of the group Eve, who hasn't said a word after Alice's outburst, goes to the bathroom. She takes a screw out of her pocket and looks at herself in the mirror shaking her head and repeats to herself that she was acting stupid. She unzips her overalls a little, revealing a little skin (the camera suggests that much of her body is burned), she closes her eyes and shakes her head. She then rolls up her sleeves and starts scratching her arms, which are also all ruined from sunburn, with her vines as she starts to cry. Alice, just at that moment, arrives at the threshold of the bathroom door with an almost smiling and satisfied face after the experience in the garden with the idea of washing her hands. She is undecided whether to go in or not since Eve has treated her badly until she notices the drops of blood falling on the ground and the girl's crying sobs. Alice realizes what she is doing and she decides not to say anything. She steps back with a face full of pity back into her room where Sarah and Luna are playing cards. Luna wins yet another game and starts jumping on the bed rejoicing at having defeated her for the tenth time in a row while Sarah good-naturedly accuses her of cheating. Then the three roommates burst out laughing and start making friendly jokes. The three begin to talk and confide in each other. As Luna combs Alice and Sarah's hair she is next to them sitting next to them with her legs crossed. Luna offers to comb her hair too but Sarah refuses with a comically disgusted face and then all three burst out laughing again. At that point Alice opens up and talks about the day of the accident including the details of Taylor Swift's concert ticket. Luna jumps up and claps, saying that she also has a ticket for that concert and then turns to Sarah who grimaces and says through clenched teeth that she has one too. Luna giggles that she doesn't look like a Taylor Swift fan. Sarah sheepishly replies that she doesn't like her very much but she likes her. A moment later Luna begins to sing the song "Love Story" in an excellent way, shortly after her Sarah also joins in and makes her wonderful voice heard. As she sings, she realizes that she hadn't sung out loud since the accident. In the meantime, Sarah had taken her guitar and started playing it to accompany the two roommates' song. The music expands in the corridors. Dr. Wilcox is pleasantly surprised and starts banging his pen on the table as if he was thinking of something. Music is also heard in the infirmary where Gloria is dressing the wounds on Eve's arms. Towards the end of the song Alice receives a phone call from her mother. Alice responds and starts talking about her day. Vivien is happy to hear her daughter with a semblance of serenity after several weeks. Before falling asleep the three girls exchange their last thoughts. Alice confides in the other two that she saw Eve hurt herself in the bathroom earlier. As Luna falls asleep Sarah says in a small voice that Eve does this often and that she shouldn't worry and that none of the girls know much about her childhood. Finally Sarah says that Eve also has a YouTube channel where she talks about music and does covers but also adds that she hasn't updated it for a long time, before falling asleep. At that point, to her surprise, Alice puts on her headphones and searches for the YouTube channel on her cell phone and after finding it she starts listening, remaining entranced by her voice.

The next morning the girls joke with each other during breakfast until Alice realizes that she has eaten everything without realizing it. She feels proud of this and immediately writes it to her mother, receiving compliments from her. The atmosphere is jovial until they go out to arrange the flowers. While Alice is watering the seed she planted the day before she is called by a serious Eve to come in because she wants to talk to her. Sophie wishes Alice good luck and Eve makes a sarcastic but nice joke making Alice smile. At that point she apologizes for what she said the previous day and lends a hand as a sign of friendship. At that point she takes her hand and takes her to her room. Eve takes out a key that she stole from the concierge and they lock themselves inside her even though it's forbidden by the rules, Alice is almost scared but Eve reassures her that she just wants to show her something. Eve begins to take off her clothes and show her body almost completely burned except for her face and hands. At that point she sits on the bed and tells her story about herself and how as a child, at night, she had accidentally caused a terrible fire in her house that killed her parents and her little brother. She says that none of the other girls know and encourages Alice to react because her life is still at the beginning and she has plenty of time to get out of her problems because at home she still has a mother who despite her defects is trying to do everything she can because she too found herself without the person she loved. Alice nods until Eve rests her head on her shoulder, wiping away her tears with her arm. At that moment they feel that someone from outside is trying to enter. It is Hannah who, finding her locked, is worried that Eve is really hurting herself this time and she knocks loudly on her door, calling her name and inviting Gloria to take the key. Alice thinks of an idea in a split second and starts singing "Father and son". Eve remembers that that was her last cover that she had published on her YouTube channel and had received thousands of views and she joins her friend creating a spectacular and touching duet that continues even when Hannah and Gloria enter in the room. Shortly afterwards Sarah, Luna and the other girls also arrive and listen. Luna cries with emotion and elbows her friend Sarah when she sees that she too has tears in her eyes. At the end of the song Hannah, after having complimented the two of her, takes them back, telling her not to lock herself in the room anymore. Alice is quick to say that the lock had broken and they couldn't get out anymore and so they started singing to get someone's attention and that they hadn't heard the knock. After Hannah walks out the door, Gloria who had immediately realized that she was a lie picks up the key the girls had used and walks out giggling.

Shortly afterwards Eve opens the drawer and gives an envelope to Alice saying that she has something for her because she doesn't want it anymore. Alice opens it and starts squealing with joy showing it to Luna. The two start jumping, leaving Eve a little taken aback. Sarah approaches Eve and tells her that coincidentally she all four tickets to the same concert. Luna suggests that all four of them can go together. At that point Dr. Henry Wilcox appears at the door and with a serious face shakes his head saying that they couldn't go. The girls begin to protest and after a few seconds the doctor takes out a note, waving it, saying that it could not have been four but five. Shortly afterwards there was general laughter when it was discovered that Wilcox was only holding a blank piece of paper because he wanted to cause a bit of a stir. Then Dr.Wilcox sits next to the girls and begins to illustrate an idea about him based on music. The girls listen and seem interested.

Twenty days later the community had an open day in which everyone could participate, relatives but also ordinary people. Outside there is a large stage where games and other activities take place, ending with a grand finale, a medley of songs. The girls and all the members who work in the recovery center participate by performing on the stage. The film ends as the camera shows Alice singing with a happy smile on her face as she looks at her mother in the audience who looks at her in admiration.