Frameline will host the premier of More Beautiful for Having Been Broken on June 30th. The movie centers on an emotional narrative narrative revolving three distinct women who cross paths in a small lakeside town. These three woman are also grappling with their own unique struggles. A single mother with a medically fragile son, an FBI agent who is currently on leave due to suffering a death at the office, and a woman grappling with sobriety. These three woman learn to cherish the beauty of every day and heal their emotional wounds. I was excited to preview this film for three reasons. Can’t get enough of ’me.
Clearly this film is able to cater to my very basic need of romance novels. It features Kayla Radomski, and as a dancer, I could never forget her iconic performance to Gravity by Sara Bareilles on So You Think You Dance with partner Kupono Aweau. That’s where I know her name from so I paused to fan over the fact I had heard her name in the credits. As a social worker whose everyday job is supporting disabled people, it was such a treat to witness a frank portrayal of the challenges and triumphs of a socially fragile character in a narrative with someone who actually had the diagnosis. The phrase “nothing about us without us” echoed in my head and it left me very pleased as a social worker.
So let’s take the plunge and get started.
Australian actress Zoe Ventoura takes on the role of Mackenzie Aaron, an FBI agent suffering from trauma and internal conflict. In search of solace, she visits the peaceful Lake Maryville in Northern California, where she meets Freddy, a little boy who possesses extraordinary emotional intelligence. His single mother Sam, a dance instructor with a traumatic past, also lives in the area, along with Vivienne, a politician who has an enigmatic relationship with Mackenzie. Cale Ferrin takes on the role of a boy with disabilities and extraordinary chess skills, while Kayla Radomski stars as the devoted mother.
This movie tackles the immense responsibilities that come with raising a child who has special needs. It showcases Sam’s growing anxiety surrounding losing her child, which makes every moment spent with him feel incredibly valuable. Over the course of the film, we see Freddy being bullied, having a seizure, along with the endless medications he needs on a daily basis to cope with his many diagnoses. It is very hard not to love the Freddy character, and with a little patience, he manages to warm up to Mackenzie despite her cold emotional walls. It’s hard to tell his motives clearly at first, but it’s obvious that Freddy has every intention of getting Sam and Mackenzie to form a bond with each other.
I found waiting for the romance to unfold over the better part of the movie rather agonizing. But once the two finally get together, it becomes clear that both have a strong mutual affection for each other, and it turns out that they each care for Freddy too, which resulted in a beautiful relationship. However, things get tricky after we discover Vivienne’s character’s multifaceted role in the Vivienne narrative and all three women have to confront their personal demons.
Without giving too much away, I have to say that the movie contains some serious lesbian drama that was unexpected. If I didn’t know several dykes who claimed to have been through the exact same thing, I would say it qualifies as soap opera drama. With that being said, I believe that the ending is problematic for a movie trying to tackle disability representation. This was surprising considering the closeness the filmmaker has to the topic. I will admit, though, that up until the very end, I believed the filmmaker had done justice to all corresponding marginalized groups. Many people would consider the film bordering cheesy. It has all the elements and drama of a traditional Hallmark Christmas movie.
Swap out the moral of Christmas Magic for one of embracing differences whether they be disabilities or sexualities and change the monotonous heterosexual romance with a classic lesbian love story. But I’m not upset. I adore dairy. I’m sentimental and this film is set to premiere in the middle of cancer season. (What’s up, astrology lesbians?) I used to really enjoy watching Hallmark specials with my grandmother, but I never really saw myself reflected in those movies.
Inability to self-identify further renders young lesbians with the challenge of homosexuality. But now, with the help of openly gay actresses, our children have something to aspire towards in the form of Carol, Gentleman Jack, or other characters. Instead, the lives of lesbians are intricately woven into the sociopolitical fabric that every representation feels like it has been handpicked for its commandability on politics. What I state above does not require me to give a political stance on my sexuality. It does not compel me to confront homophobic or rejection borne experiences that I encountered as a lesbian.
It gives me a glimpse of living a life where my existence and heterosexuality does not have to be up for negotiation. Girls like me, for once, got a chance to experience a romance without the story having to revolve around proving to the world that we, too, are human. For once, social and political oppression was not at the epicenter of the story concerning romance between two females. More Beautiful for Having Been Broken premieres this Sunday, June 30th at the Frameline film festival.
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