WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The lonely heart. When we, as people, long for the connection that is found only in having that special soul to share our lives and love with, it can be a yearning so deeply rooted that once the chance presents itself for someone to fill that void, it can end up being built up to almost fantastical levels in our minds, threatening to undermine the beauty of reality right before our eyes. April (Celina Jade) is one such lonely heart. Young, beautiful, yet still longing to discover that one true match, she goes about her routine each day, with only the well-meaning, but somewhat stilted, life perspective “advice” being provided by her friend Laura (Kate Middleton).
Things change radically, however, when April finds an accidentally left behind journal on the subway which, after sneaking a read, causes her to become enamored with the author–whose identity or whereabouts she has no idea of. Making it a mission to discover this elusive and all-consuming fascination, April’s initial attempts are met with disappointment and the ensuing frustration associated with it. Along with way, though, a random encounter with young hipster Jared (Jon Fletcher) suddenly throws her world into a spin, falling for him even as her idealistic imagination continues to try and grant her the perfect picture of the journal’s author. But, as this then begins to overtake reality, it is evident that actuality mixing with invention isn’t always the best combination.
Next, my Mind:
Presented with an innocent, playful demeanor that sometimes belies the heavier dramatic aspects delivered via a myriad of pivotal, well-placed sequences throughout the film, writer/director/co-producer Christopher Tedrick’s independent feature effort certainly does an effective job at tugging the heartstrings and tickling the funny bone while likewise eliciting a more contemplative tone along the way. Being a completely character-driven narrative, the viewer is drawn directly into April’s somewhat fragile world via both smartly written dialogue and some accompanying narration as well, all which melds together to illustrate the power of choices made, the pursuit of fantasy vs. reality, and how we can potentially sabotage something wished for standing right in front of us for the sake of a fanciful and romantic, but ultimately impractical, vision in our heads when it comes to picturing that “perfect” someone.
Jade’s performance makes for a totally endearing, completely adorable, undeniably beautiful, yet sublimely damaged character in April, whose ideas of “Mr. Right” are gleaned with a deep hope from the journal writings she steals a peek at, only to pursue the author with starry-eyed reverie and created images in her mind, finding however that said chase may actually lead to more heartbreak and regret, while the actual answer to everything has entered her life already. Fletcher’s Jared is presented perfectly by the actor, creating the kind of man that April honestly needs and would be totally open and happy with, yet who has to deal with competing against a figment of April’s imagination, trying to hold on to his growing love for her while realizing she may be lost to a fiction or at minimum a seemingly unfindable person. The two together mesh very well and with believability in their scenes together, a needed chemistry for this story.
Solid support is provided by Middleton as April’s eccentric but very entertaining best friend Laura, along with key side characters from Trevor Kluckman, Sean Cullen, Mia Dillon, Keir Dullea, Joe Boover, and Helen Stern, who acts as the film’s narrator, among others. In total, “April Flowers”, with its affecting finale and messages about decisions and their effects on both us and others around us, is a fantastic slice of indie film drama that paints a much more tangible portrait of how we are as human beings than we might want to admit. We all have that “perfect” someone in our dreams, but sometimes that perfection could be right under our noses to be grasped onto, held close, and allowed to bring us the love we seek, immediately in the here and now.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
