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If I had legs, I'd kick you.
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Directed by Mary Bronstein and produced by A24 is a rare film in its raw portrayal of
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the complexities of motherhood.
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The story is anchored by an extraordinary performance from Roseburn as Linda, and a
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surprisingly restrained, quietly-affecting turn by Conan O'Brien as her therapist.
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Linda is a single mother trying to balance, caring for a chronically ill child, maintaining
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her career and managing the endless inconveniences of daily life.
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Already stretched then, she's pushed further when a pipe bursts in her apartment, flooding
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her home and triggering a cascade of complications.
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Forced into a CD motel with her daughter, while repair stall, Linda struggles to stay
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present for her clients.
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She's a therapist herself, while navigating the frustrations of her ex-husband, played
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by Christian Slater.
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In this unstable environment, she begins to unravel, turning to alcohol and marijuana,
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and slipping into a mental escape hatch she imagines as freedom.
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Linda is also a patient within her own practice, creating a subtly conflicted dynamic with O'Brien's
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His stoic demeanor makes the moments when he reveals a protective instinct toward her
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all the more striking.
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A persistent theme is the question self-doubt around being a good mother, supporting characters
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echo this through storylines, involving postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, and
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emotional overwhelm.
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The film does not sensationalize these experiences.
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It simply lets them exist.
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Despite her toughness, Linda repeatedly asks for help, only to find the burden falling
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back on her shoulders.
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The film comments on the relentlessness of motherhood and the lack of structural support,
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childcare, respite, financial stability, that so many women face.
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Linda forms a connection with Jamie, the motel superintendent, played by ASAP Rocky.
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In reality, it's Jamie, who befriends her, stepping in when she spirals or leaves her sick
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daughter alone overnight.
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As her mental state deteriorates, her physical appearance follows.
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Dark circles, thinning hair, weight loss, adding to Burns' transformative performance.
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Delaney Quinn, as Linda's daughter, gives an intentionally heightened performance that
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mirrors the constant pressure any mother might internalize.
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The demands placed on Linda from her child, her clients, and her daughter's doctor, played
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by Bronstein, are unrelenting.
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Some viewers have found the film difficult to watch.
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I found it to be one of the few films willing to explore the hand life deals us in the imperfect,
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deeply human effort to be better.
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For KSQD's film gang, this is Susan Lovegren.