Little Brother
Seen at the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival.
What is the best way in which we can be there for someone who’s attempted suicide? That is the fundamental question at the heart of Sheridan O’Donnell’s drama about two brothers who are on a road trip after the older brother tries to take his life. Writer-director Sheridan O’Donnell has made his film inspired by his experiences when a close friend took his life, and while the film does have some moments that feel like they strain credulity, the emotions behind it are genuine. What is the best way to be there for someone who attempts to take their own life? For Jake, it’s being the brother he thinks Pete needs in this moment, even if some of those decisions appear ill-advised, logically speaking.
Pete (Philip Ettinger) has been living in their grandmother’s house since her passing, and he has not been handling life well. To their father (J.K. Simmons), Pete is a screw-up whom he should have cut off a long time ago. Jake (Daniel Diemer), Pete’s younger brother, has been sent by their father to bring him home to Seattle, the hope being that a change of scenery will help, and it’ll give the father more control over Pete. On the trip home, the brothers have moments of connection that seems to bring them closer together than they have been in a while. But will that be enough to keep Pete from trying again?
There are parts of this film that feel like wish fulfillment on O’Donnell’s part; not knowing the exact circumstances of he and his friend, some of Jake’s actions- especially at the end- feel as though the director wishes if he could have just done something like this for his friend, maybe he would still be around, or have gotten better. Moments in this film reminded me of one of my best friends, who is still alive but has struggled with mental and emotional issues his adult life. He started living with my wife and I several years ago; we were hoping the change of environment would help him. But it ended up not working, and we had to kick him out because of how it was impacting our emotional well-being. I wish it had worked out, and even though our friendship has strained, we still communicate, but at a certain point, there’s nothing anyone can do if the individual is not willing to do for themselves. I am grateful my friend is still around, though. I wish O’Donnell’s still was.
That last paragraph started off by sounding as though I was knocking O’Donnell’s film, but I was simply observing it as part of O’Donnell’s personal reaction to the loss of his friend. “Little Brother” is profoundly therapeutic and genuine in how people on Jake’s side of the equation of a relationship with someone who has either attempted suicide, or had someone vocalize suicidal ideation, reacts when confronted by someone like Pete, who isn’t afraid to be genuine about his issues, and who seems to be thrust into the middle by their father, who sees Pete’s issues as something that needs snuffed out rather than understood. Jake genuinely cares about Pete, and wants to be there for him, and that is part of why “Little Brother” engaged me so much with its story; this is a film about the long process of trying to understand another person, to help another person, and how that has ebbs and flows. Sometimes, that’s the best we can do.
LB – Trailer from Inspirado on Vimeo.
