Mouse
“Mouse” starts out like a lot of other coming-of-age films, with joyful moments between Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and her best friend, Callie (Chloe Coleman). It’s the end of their junior year of high school, and they cannot wait to be seniors. And then, a stunning tragedy strikes, and all of the sudden, those possibilities are gone. All that is left is grief. For Minnie, for Callie’s other friends, and for Callie’s parents, the mother of which is a teacher at the school. Life is put on pause for many, and yet, it also goes on. This is the tragic irony of losing someone we love- as much as we want the world to stop, it continues, and we have to push through whether we want to or not.
This is the work of directors Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, whose last film was the beautiful 2024 film, “Ghostlight.” That film is one that sneaks up on you and connects hard. “Mouse,” written by O’Sullivan, will do the same. It’s clear that the directors forged a connection with Kupferer on that film, as well as Tara Mallen, who once again plays her mother on screen. The Dunns are a fractured family, with Mallen’s Barbara trying to keep a roof over their heads (she also has a baby), while not really being able to connect with Minnie. Minnie actually feels closer to Callie’s parents, in particular, her mother, Helen (Sophie Okonedo), who is broken by Callie’s death. Her and her husband get divorced, and it’s just Helen, trying to survive, in the house that was a home. But Minnie and Helen’s connection is…tenuous, especially since both are struggling with the shared loss of Callie.
Normally, I would not go into this much depth about such a major plot point in a film, especially one that descriptions are deliberately leaving unspoken. But this film is all about grief, all-encompassing, and it’s that grief that bonds Minnie and Helen. Grief is messy as Hell, especially when it is sudden, and a part of you feels lost afterwards. This is the work of filmmakers who understand that complicated reality, and know that it can impact everything, including how we relate to our friends, family, as well as new people who come into our lives. Two key people for Minnie are Dr. Murdaugh (David Hyde Pierce, in a terrific performance), the theatre instructor who’s going with the student’s desire to do a memorial performance for Callie, but also recognizes that Minnie might be trying to be someone she isn’t, and Kat (Iman Vellani, whom it’s great to see in a film outside of the MCU, and she brings her effortless charm to the role), a young girl who works at a video store who also recognizes what Minnie is going through. Their bond is different than the one that Minnie had with Callie, and that’s important. The performances by Kupferer and Okonedo are the crown jewels of the film, though. Okonedo is heartbreaking as a mother who’s barely holding on being how she defined herself is now gone, and Kupferer- so good in “Ghostlight”- matches her beat for beat. “Mouse” is measured, thoughtful, and empathetic. It also lands with a gut punch that people who have experienced deep loss will recognize, especially as life pushes on, whether you want it to or not.
