The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart2023

The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart is a portrayal of domestic abuse that starts out a bit obtuse, but given the intense subject matter, that obtuseness is an effective way to bring people into Alice’s story.

A young girl is terrified by her abusive father, so she takes fatal action. As a result, she's taken to live with her estranged grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), who runs a flower farm and uses the plants to send messages of encouragement and hope. This is obviously taken from a novel, because there's lots of expressive imagery and lingering looks. The pacing reads slowly as the mild surprises are meted out, one per episode. Weaver strains and struggles, as does the rest of the cast with the melodrama that's trapped their characters. While there is some beauty and occasional emotion, the self-reflective nature on top of the statements about abuse and empowerment make the film wilt more than blossom.

It truly does feel like there’s a great 130-minute-or-so movie in this story. But that version would admittedly lose the show’s accumulation of small joys and how the writers let these excellent performers live in these roles instead of just running in and out of the spotlight.