Kate Winslet’s directorial debut, which was also written by her son, Joe Anders, is officially taking Netflix by storm, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The movie, which dropped on December 24th, has officially solidified its place on the platform’s Top 10 list, easily sliding into the #5 spot over the holidays with over 7 million views. Not only does she direct the film, but Winslet also stars in it.
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Also starring in Goodbye June is an incredibly stacked cast, featuring names like Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Helen Mirran, and Johnny Flynn. It’s a film with grief and love baked right in, a combination sure to get at least a few tears out of you. Set just before Christmas, as a mother’s final hospital stay post cancer diagnosis thrusts her four adult children and their exasperating father into chaos, the family must figure out a way to set aside their glaring differences and come together to navigate their messy internal dynamics as they cope with the impending loss of the person who holds them all together.
It’s A Film About The Heart At The Center Of Grief
Goodbye June is nothing short of a passion project for Winslet. Speaking with Tudum about the film, she said, “I do hope that people are able to perhaps see something of themselves in this story, these characters, these family dynamics,” says Winslet. “If anyone has experienced loss in some way and is processing grief, perhaps this film might make them feel a little easier about talking about those things — grief and loss isn’t something that we’re very good at talking about at all.” Anders, the film’s writer, elaborated on the kind of story they were trying to tell, saying, “I tried to write a story about how a family are pulled closer together through the loss and not pulled apart and destroyed by it. I wanted to tell the story of something that happens to us all. But I didn’t want it to be depressing. I wanted it to feel uplifting and cathartic in some way.”
Reviews of the film are mixed so far, with some saying that the balance between humor and heart is lopsided. “Goodbye June is far from a catastrophe, but it’s perhaps a greater sin that the film would be far more interesting if it were,” said Coleman Spilde of Salon. Dionar Hildalgo of Algo Más Que Cine agrees, adding, “A well-acted and sincere family drama elevated by Mirren and Riseborough, but held back by a cautious direction and a predictable script. Kate Winslet shows promise behind the camera, even if Goodbye June plays it too safe.”
Did you enjoy Goodbye June? Tell us your favorite moment from the movie in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other movie fans think.
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