It's the 90s. A family of 6- mother and father, 3 boys and one girl, of Hungarian heritage, moves into a house in British Columbia, Canada. It's summertime. Just like any other young family, we see the family dynamics playing out. There are laughs, there are arguments, there are beautiful little moments. Daughter Sasha (played by Eylul Guven and later Amy Zimmer), is our main observer, as she is getting acquainted with the surroundings. There's a bit of prejudice against her among her young playmates in the neighborhood - maybe it's her slight accent or her status as the new girl in town, as she is left playing in the neighbor's pool covered in tarp, while other girls giggle in the distance. But that doesn't deter her sunny disposition.
It is clear that the eldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddos), a tall, lanky blonde with square thin rimmed metal glasses, has behavioral issues and the parents don't know what to do with him. He is constantly in trouble for shoplifting and violent outbursts. There are no government health authorities to help them cope with his deteriorating conditions. But we see the gentle side of Jeremy with his younger siblings as he silently watches over them. With dad always on the computer for work, the duty of taking care of children during the summer falls on mom, and with Jeremy constantly acting out whatever he is experiencing mentally, falls on her to deal with. And she is on wit's end.
After the social worker's visit, there are things that are revealed about Jeremy. He wants to be rich and famous. He loves drawing maps. He loves the idea of time travel- typical teenager stuff, and also the yearning for structure and perhaps a re-do.
In the halfway point, we are introduced to a filmmaker Sasha (Zimmer) in the present day. After her brother's passing, with her memories of her childhood fading and unreliable at times, she is in the process of making a film about her older brother who passed recently.
In a very poignant moment, past and present intersect: we see a grownup Sasha visiting the family as a social worker and telling her distressed parents that nothing they would do for Jeremy would make any difference - therapy, medications, foster care, institutions. That the outcome of Jeremy's life trajectory really wasn't their fault. While all of the children are watching TV, the present Sasha whispers something in her younger self's ear and smiles while Jeremy's eyes are fixed on blinking TV lights.
Sophy Romvary's semi-autobiographical debut feature beautifully displays yearning for understanding and closeness that was never meant to be. Some people in our lives are unreachable however we try, but it doesn't mean we don't love them any less. Astute observations of life's complications and emotions, Blue Heron is one of the most emotionally resonant films in recent years.
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