First ‘Wildflower’ Poster and Stills Show Kiernan Shipka in One Big Happy Family [Exclusive]:

At the heart of Matt Smukler’s coming-of-age dramedy Wildflower is family. The film centers on Bea (Kiernan Shipka), who grows up as the daughter of neurodivergent parents (Samantha Hyde and Dash Mihok) and is left weighing whether to continue living with and supporting them or to focus on her own life and love. It’s not isolated to just Bea and her parents, however, as her grandparents, aunt, uncle, and more get involved in their lives. Ahead of Wildflower’s theatrical release later this month, Collider can exclusively share a set of new stills and a poster highlighting the family and friends surrounding Bea throughout her life.

With the caption “A Little Heartache, A Lot of Love,” the poster shows Bea standing defiantly in her hospital gown while her extended family stands behind her. Much of the film takes place through flashbacks as Bea gets into an accident in her senior year of high school that leaves her confined to a bed and comatose. The poster captures exactly who she is – independent, but also dedicated to the family that did its best to raise her. Also on the poster is Bea’s would-be boyfriend Ethan (Charlie Plummer) who glances at Bea’s family as he tries to bring her a bouquet full of flowers.

The stills also highlight the family aspect of the film. The first two images show Bea looking on confidently as the head of the table at dinner with her family and Ethan while a third focuses on her uncle Ben (Reid Scott). In contrast, the rest of the images show her outside life at school and with Ethan. She’s shown trying to pay attention in class, hanging out with her friend Nia (Kannon Omachi), and sharing a moment with Ethan, further demonstrating the connections she has beyond her family. All the love Bea and her family share comes back in one final image which shows them looking on proudly as she graduates.

Smukler debuted Wildflower at the Toronto International Film Festival to a strong reception on September 12. The film, which features a screenplay penned by Jana Savage, is a chance for him to tell a very personal story that he originally developed for his niece who lives in a very similar situation to Bea. The heartfelt result gelled with critics who gave it a respectable 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. During Perri Nemiroff’s interview with the cast and director at TIFF for Collider, Shipka expressed how much she appreciated her role which struck a delicate balance between coming-of-age and maturity, saying:

I think there was just such a sort of specific drive in the way that she spoke and there was a wise beyond her years-ness that I really loved because I think you can be mature and grounded and independent and thoughtful, but also be a kid, and that’s what I really wanted to find and be, was sort of this duality where, on one hand, she’s incredibly responsible and has to be responsible for a lot more than a lot of people her age are, but at the same time, is still finding herself and growing up. So that kind of balance was what was so, so, so compelling to me in the character.

Shipka gets to share the screen with a family of star-studded actors with Wildflower. Aside from Hyde, Mihok, Plummer, Scott, and Omachi, the film also features Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Alexandra Daddario, Brad Garrett, Erika Alexander, Jean Smart, and Jacki Weaver.

Wildflower releases in theaters on March 17 and on digital and on-demand on March 21. Check out the exclusive poster and stills from Smukler’s film below, and watch our interview with the cast, all at Collider.