A Review of ‘Sunflower Girl’: An affecting tale of a blooming teen’s divided devotion
A girl struggles to find a sense belonging in the midst of family and friends.
‘Sunflower Girl’: An affecting tale of a blooming teen’s divided devotion
Cast: Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Cairo Zion, Fanny Lawren, Daniel Girdo, Abigail Lopez
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Holly M. Kaplan
Duration: 13 minutes
Genre: Drama
Language: English, Cantonese (with subtitles)
Release: 2023
What’s it about?
A girl struggles to find a sense belonging in the midst of family and friends.
Review:
Sunflower Girl is lightweight but moving sentimental drama about ethnic identity, the obligation of familial loyalty and the desire to dissolve in a melting pot. This Short tells its story in a simple but effective way, inviting the audience to journey with its adolescent protagonist over a few profound hours. Can one set family aside in an endeavour to fit in with the community at large? Or does taking care of one’s kin contribute more to a sense of self and purpose?
A young Chinese-American teen (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja) prefers to go by the western “Rosie” instead of her actual Cantonese name. It appears that only her closest relatives address her by the latter nomenclature. Beginning with this unusual disclaimer in voice-over, we then follow Rosie into a store owned and managed by her mother Kim (Fanny Lawren). Through the older lady’s demeanour and words, we get the sense that she is the traditional type - fiercely proud of her ethnicity and a strong-willed Mom to Rosie and Rosie’s younger sister Amy (Abigail Lopez).
Short on assistance at her shop for the afternoon, Kim deputes Rosie to pick up Amy from school. From here on, it becomes progressively clear that Rosie bears quite some resentment toward the two ladies in her life. She feels tempted to accord more affection and camaraderie to a couple of non-Asian male peers (Cairo Zion and Daniel Girdo). Rosie even wishes to share in a playtime activity with the two boys, and in a servile way, panders to their whims. In the process, little Amy runs the risk of being an outsider and a neglected sibling.
Rosie’s two names serve as a fitting verbal motif to convey the film’s theme of cultural confusion and family allegiance. In so doing, it challenges William Shakespeare’s famous line from his play Romeo and Juliet – “What’s in a name?” Film buffs might even be reminded of the 2017 Oscar-nominated film Ladybird and how the name we re-christen ourselves with helps to define our self-perception. Rosie’s character appropriately shares a couple of insightful thoughts about the conflict raging in her mind. These sentiments are sure to resonate with most viewers.
Writer-director Holly M. Kaplan delivers a fairly thought-provoking venture, using innocence and subtlety instead of sensationalism and profanity. Ms. Kaplan also explores the mind of a pubescent through interaction and introspection. However, the culminating epiphany could have been a tad more poignant or compelling. Regardless, the cinematography adequately captures the point of view of a child in transition and there is an appropriately charming song to wrap things up. You might leave this film wondering if life is actually more “Rosie” when you’re a “Sunflower” Girl.
