After years of successfully avoiding her family, newly-unemployed Hailey gets a frantic call from her sister with news compelling her to return to their east coast hometown - only to discover a stunning surprise waiting for her.
Content Advisory: Self-injurious behavior, Suicide, Substance abuse or alcoholism, Transphobia
A young woman is tricked into returning to his estranged family in Nova Scotia in Hailey Rose. A decade ago, Hailey (Em Haine) left her home in Nova Scotia after her mother Olga (Kari Matchett) blamed Hailey for the sudden death of her father Roger (Billy MacLellan). One day, Hailey receives a frantic call from her sister Rose (Caitlynne Medrek) and she leaves behind her partner Syd (Riley Reign) to return home, only to be faced with a big surprise when she does.
Hailey Rose Synopsis
Hailey Rose is a dramedy written and directed by Sandi Somers. The title references the names of the two sister protagonists and the name of the boat owned by the girl’s father Roger. The story involves Hailey returning home after a decade and resolving unfinished business with her family. In particular, Hailey has to come to terms with her mother Olga, who still holds resentment towards Hailey’s apparent role in the death of her father.
My Thoughts on Hailey Rose
While Hailey Rose is a fine story of self-discovery and reconciling your past, there are a few elements of the film that didn’t come off well for me. Particularly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characterization of Caitlynne Medrek’s Rose, who has apparent mental health and codependency issues and a supposed suicide attempt is just depicted as Rose acting out. The film also makes a running gag out of the fact that everyone in the community found out about Hailey’s queerness in the newspaper and that her non-binary partner Syd results in much gender confusion. However, Hailey Rose is ultimately a film that is learning to accept your family for who they are.