HIS THREE DAUGHTERS

US, 2024, 101 minutes, Colour.

Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Rudy Gavan, Jose Febus, Jovan Adepo, Jay O.Sanders.

Directed by Azazel Jacobs.

Anton Chekhov was first with his evocative title, Three Sisters. This time the three sisters are three daughters.

This is a very strong film about family relationships, sibling relationships, the daughters and their relationship to their father, the occasion of his dying. In fact, the father does not appear through the major part of the film, emerging from his room at the end of the film. The focus is on the three daughters.

This is a dialogue and character-driven screenplay which could easily be adapted to theatre. Most of the action takes place within a house, some scenes outside with one of the daughters smoking, a visit to a shop to buy drugs, glimpses of the street. But, mainly interiors.

The father (eventually seen in the performance of Jay O.Sanders) has had two happy marriages, to sad deaths of his wives, two daughters from his first marriage, Katie and Christina, and the stepdaughter from his second marriage whom he raised as his own, Rachel.

The action takes place over the days of the father dying at home, a nurse coming in for several hours to relieve the vigil of the sisters, the liaison officer with information about their father’s condition, and Rachel’s boyfriend who is looked down on by the older sister but who speaks his mind.

Which means that the drama is mainly the interactions between the three sisters. The film opens with the oldest, Katie (Carrie Coon) married with a family and clashes with her teenage daughter, often on the phone, but practical, cleaning, cooking, severe, difficulties with Rachel who has stayed in the house to be companion to their father over the years. Christina, the youngest, (Elizabeth Olsen) is the softer character, married, a young baby, continually caring on the phone, wanting to communicate with her sisters, having to mediate in moments of anger between the two.

Rachel is casual in her manner, a very strong performance by Natasha Lyonne. Continually smoking, drugs, watching sports on TV and betting, something which she did in companionship with her father over the years. And she is being left the house. She is moody, casual, at times seemingly uninvolved, the target of Katie’s criticisms, some feelings of resentment about the two sisters, the one who is always there for their father, supporting him, sharing his life over the years.

Which means then that His Three Daughters offers audiences strong characterisations, some powerful dialogue, some dramatic interactions. It challenges the audience to check on their own family relationships, harmonies, quarrels, times of falling out.

The themes, of course, are significant and well worth thinking about and discussing.

1. The title? Reminiscent of Chekhov, three sisters?
2. An American story, American families, devotion, alienation, death, clashes, reconciliations?
3. The screenplay, dialogue and character driven, easily adaptable for theatre?
4. The situation, the dying father, past memories, his two marriages, his daughters, their place in the family, bringing all of them up? One living in New York, the other across the country, the stepdaughter from the second marriage living at home, sharing life with him?
5. The audience not seeing the father until the end, his being nursed at home, the nurse coming in for several hours and helping? The consultant and his wife, indicating death to come soon, the conversations, the sisters phoning him?
6. The portrait of the three sisters? The immediate impact of Katie, oldest, her situation, marriage, clash with her teenage daughter, the phone calls, strong-minded, organising, cleaning, cooking, getting exasperated? Drinking? Attitude towards Rachel, stepsister, Rachel’s character, behaviour, living at home, the prospect of her inheriting the apartment, drugs, sports, air for her father? Her growing exasperation, harsh words, angers? Her attitude towards Christina?
7. Christina, youngest, quieter, more feeling, her marriage, her daughter, the continued phone calls and her care? Care for her father, sitting with him? Katie’s attitudes, her mediation? Attitude towards Rachel, attempts at communication? The two sisters and their outbursts, her trying to mediate? Her own loss of temper?
8. Rachel, her mother, her stepfather becoming her father, at home, a character, sports, continued smoking, drugs, Katie asking her to leave the house, the supervisor and smoking not permitted outside? Benji, the relationship, the sports, watching, bets, doing this with her father? Her living in the house, detached, not necessarily wanting to have it? The outsider, going to the shops, buying the drugs? The clashes with Katie? Discussions with Christina? Unwilling to go in to see her father?
9. Benji, the relationship with Rachel, watching the sports, his attitude towards the sisters, Katie and her disdain, his having met her before, not remembering, his strong words to Katie? Ousted?
10. The days passing, the sisters and their routines, going to see their father, sitting with him, his breathing? The issue of the signing of the declaration that he not be revived, the timing, the pressures, the eventual signature?
11. The father coming out, his speaking, their care, concern, attitude towards his daughters?
12. The fantasy sequence, his talking, his relationships, his memories, the links with each daughter, with Rachel? And then seeing him sitting dead?
13. The prospects for the future, Christina going home to her family, Katie and her concerns with her daughter, Rachel and the apartment – and future bonds, friendship, memories?