The film directed by Florian Zeller tells the story of Peter, who has a life together with Emma and their baby. However, everything changes when his ex-wife Kate appears with their son, Nicholas, a teenager who is constantly getting into trouble. He is difficult to communicate with, aggressive, distant and has just dropped out of school. The Son delves into mental health and seeks to offer a real look at the roles we play in parenting and how to cope with the anguish of not knowing the answers.
Laura Dern (The Founder) plays Kate, the protagonist's ex-wife. She embodies a single mother who is in crisis after her difficult divorce. The actress sees the parallel between the two characters, Peter and Kate. Peter has moved on and met someone, got married, and has a new child. Kate, on the other hand, lives the whole situation with a lot of anguish, guilt, confusion, and resentment and it is from that place that the story begins.
To prepare for this role, Laura acknowledges that her own life was a major research driver. She states that people of all ages suffer from clinical depression and general anxiety and teenagers are the ones with the highest statistic to date. She also heard over the years stories from friends or family members who have tried to navigate anxiety and deal with depression. It is the collection of those experiences and stories that allows her to engage with her character and context.
The sequel to the six-time Academy Award-nominated, The Father, is an adaptation of Florian Zeller's play and received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Laura Dern hopes the audiences will be moved by this story and reflect on the different themes it presents: "I hope audiences will be moved, I hope audiences will feel kinder to themselves when it comes to mental health. And more aware of the environment and the subtlety that carries the challenge of mental illness (...)".
The Son will hit the big screen on March 23 in Latin America.
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