STRANGE WEATHER

US, 2016, 92 minutes, Colour.
Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, Kim Coates, Andrene Ward- Hammond, Shane Jacobsen, Glenne Hedley.
Directed by Katherine Dieckmann.

This small, independent film might have been called Strange Journey.

Holly Hunter plays a grieving mother, her son having committed suicide several years before. At this stage, she decides to go on a journey to confront the man who had taken her son’s business plan and become prosperous.

She meets various people in her life along the way, and enlists the father of her son (Kim Coates) to help her investigations, takes a young woman with her who had had a relationship with her son.

So, the film is a road movie, but moves towards something of a grim climax, the mother seeking out the man who had stolen the plan, sees his prosperity, confronts him with a gun, he explaining his lonely childhood and wanting to impress his father, the mother then seeming to threaten but then seeming to attend suicide but her being restrained.

Ultimately, she throws the gun in the river – some kind of catharsis.

It is a star vehicle for Holly Hunter who gives an impressive performance – but, it is a severe, even dour, film.

1. A story from the south, from Georgia, moving to Louisiana?

2. The Georgia town, the streets, restaurants, school, homes? The countryside? The musical score?

3. Holly Hunter’s performance? A mother concerned about the suicide of her son? Motivations? Searching, suspicions, confrontations?

4. Darcy and her story, her friendship with Byrd, with Jerry? Her work in administration? Her past, not finishing her degree, wanting to continue? Love of literature? Single mother? Treatment by wares? Bringing up Walker, the years passing, his drug addiction, studies, hopes and ambitions? His suicide? The effect on her? Brooding?

5. Her friendship with Byrd, long standing, with Jerry? Their relationship? Discussions? Helping the administration office, documents?

6. Her relationship with Clayton, passionate, his character, trying to console her, her on-and-off moods?

7. Meeting up with her son’s friends, the last day, the young man and his wife and children coming from Birmingham, getting more information? The other friends, what they did on Walker’s final day, Mark and the bullets? The drive? The drugs, the other friends, Darcy tracking them down, Dennis and his information, Buford and his family?

8. Mark, his company, wealth, the idea from Walker? Darcy trying to find the documents and business plan? That Mark had taken it, her wanting to confront him?

9. Darcy, the decision to go to New Orleans, persuading Byrd to go with her? The travelling, the discussions, Byrd and her telling Darcy that she saw everything focused on her? The stopover, the friend, the reminiscences? Darcy going to see Wes, his senility, not saying anything?

10. The continuation of the trip, the discussion with Byrd, the sexual encounter with a walker, Darcy shopped, Byrd and her memories, her interpretation of Walker? Her going back home?

11. Darcy, going to New Orleans, the appointment with Mark, the discussions, the confrontation, the gun? His explanation of what had happened, his relationship with his father, wanting to prove himself? His success in business? His fears?

12. Darcy, upset, her return home?

13. The value of her road trip, understanding the past, exercising her memories, her understanding herself better? A future?