Mouse

I absolutely loved Ghostlight so I was really looking forward to Mouse, the latest from directors Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson.  I saw it yesterday as the first in a double feature at the Broadway and I was very moved by it because, much like its predecessor, it is a touching exploration of grief through the lens of the performing arts.  Minnie Dunn (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) is a shy and introverted high school student whose life is upended when her talented, charismatic, and popular best friend Callie Bell (Chloe Coleman) is killed in a tragic car accident.  Callie's grief-stricken mother Helen (Sophie Okonedo) reaches out to several of her daughter's friends in order to feel closer to her and Minnie responds as a way to assuage her own grief and to escape a difficult relationship with her single mother Barbara (Tara Mallen).  Eventually, Minnie spends more and more time with Helen who begins transforming her into a copy of her daughter.  This culminates with Minnie singing one of Callie's favorite songs at a concert in her honor organized by her friends Brandi (Addisyn Cain) and Cara (Audrey Grace Marshall) and sponsored by the drama teacher Mr. Murdaugh (David Hyde Pierce).  When her performance is less than stellar, Helen realizes that Minnie deserves to be celebrated for her own qualities and Minnie comes to appreciate the unconditional support of her mother.  This is an incredibly tender and realistic portrayal of grief in which a young girl's mother and friend lose their identities when she is no longer with them, especially since she took up so much space in their lives, and I think many people will relate to this specific aspect of loss.  I was also struck by a subplot about two of Callie's casual friends who hijack the grieving process from Minnie and another about how a new relationship with a video store clerk named Kat (Iman Vellani) sparks feelings of guilt in Minnie for moving on too quickly.  Kupferer gives an understated but highly nuanced performance as Minnie experiences a myriad of emotions and, while I was riveted by her interactions with Okonedo (one single tear falling down her face in a grief support group brought many tears to my eyes) and her real-life mother Mallen, my favorite moment was a scene with Hyde Pierce in which he gives advice about navigating grief.  This is a simple but lovely movie and I highly recommend it.