Funny and tenderly sad, Infinitely Polar Bear gives us a taste of what it’s like living
with bipolar disorder as a person and as a family member. Writer/director Maya Forbes apparently
knows of what she speaks because every bit of the film rings true, from the
mental disorder, to the kids’ behavior, to the challenges one parent takes on
in pursuing an education and the other taking on household responsibilities
with little prior experience. It’s
also remarkable in showing the amount of patience, love, and commitment it
takes for each person to muddle through.
Finally, it’s refreshing to see a film about a family in which the
communication is out front, including allowing the children to speak their
minds freely.
The story begins on a rather pessimistic note
with Cam (Ruffalo) getting fired from his job and entering a manic
episode. He is admitted to the
hospital where he looks like a zombie at first, but gradually becomes well enough
to go to a halfway house. His wife
Maggie (Saldana) plugs away at a job far beneath her qualifications, and their
girls Amelia (Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) have to transfer to a
substandard school.
Then good problem solving gets them on a
better—although not ideal—track.
Maggie is accepted by Columbia University to work on an MBA, the
downside of which is that she must be away from home during the week for 18
months. At first, Cam is taken
aback and overwhelmed, but Maggie expresses her confidence in him to take care
of the girls. As expected, it’s
rocky along the way, what with lapses on Cam’s part, car breakdowns, and the
endless demands of keeping up with the dishes and the laundry. But the young girls admirably step up
to the plate and take on more responsibility, which is good for them. It’s also rewarding to see how handy
Cam is in fixing whatever is broken and creatively constructing all kinds of
solutions to meet their needs.
The story ends on a hopeful note, although not
with everything tied up neatly with a bow. But I
can say that in the end, we are confident that “the kids will be all right.”
My hat is off to Mark Ruffalo for being willing
to take on a househusband role and be impaired to boot! And he does a magnificent job! I hope he receives nominations for such
a challenging project. He and Zoe
Saldana work together beautifully and convincingly in portraying heroic parents
in reality-based troubling situations.
It is gratifying to hear that young Wolodarsky—without any prior acting
experience—nails her role. It’s in
her blood literally, I suppose, in that she is the daughter of Forbes and one
of the producers, Wallace Solodarsky.
Ah, the music in this film! Whenever a scene needs it,
award-winning Theodore Shapiro (Hope Springs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Marley
and Me, The Devil Wears Prada) comes up with exactly the right songs and
orchestral interludes to enhance the effects of the drama.
An infinitely rewarding film.
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