Cinephile No. 798 “Where’d You Go, Bernadette”
Recommendation: 3/5 Stars, STREAM
Plot: “A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery.” -IMDB
Review: Cate Blanchett stars as Bernadette Fox, a woman possessing a palpable disdain for people. The mission for the audience in the screen adaption of this story is to figure out what brought her to this point. While the delivery to the point of revelation isn’t always a smooth one, this is still a movie worthy of your time. If for no other reason, so we can hear you say for the thousandth time, “The book was better.”
At the height of her career, Bernadette was an esteemed architect in Los Angeles who was beginning to garner some serious attention. For the film, we see this rise as a backdrop to her current standing. Bernadette finds herself in Seattle married to a Microsoft employee who is creating a new wave of technology. Together, they have a daughter and a home needing some serious attention. Almost immediately, we know something is off with our main character. We can feel her breaking down mentally but aren’t totally convinced. On the other hand, her husband, played by Billy Crudup, believes his wife needs serious help.
Using a series of flashbacks, we begin to realize Bernadette’s reason for withdrawing. While I won’t give anything away, I will say that being a mom became the most important thing in the world. It meant choosing to care for another human being over her career. Still, the need to create never totally disappeared. When it finally shows itself and she is ready to feed the fire again, her husband stages an intervention in an attempt to force her into psychiatric care. This doesn’t sit well with Bernadette and she flees!
Antarctica becomes the setting for our final scene. Why the bottom of the globe? An unfilled promise to Bernadette’s daughter, but more than that it serves as a moment of inspiration and connection. It is in these moments we discover a woman who can unleash her talents, love her daughter wholeheartedly, and be there for her husband. Arriving at this point isn’t easy for her or the audience, but the journey is worth a watch during your next lazy Saturday stuck in the house.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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