Birthmarked is a 2018 comedy about two scientists who raise 3 children contrarily to their genetic tendencies to prove the ultimate power of nurture over nature.
Hopefully you’ve seen Ron Howard‘s wonderful 1989 comedy/drama Parenthood, a film about family that really just nails the whole ‘thing’ about being in one. Many films have tackled the dynamic, and many take to humor – like that film – in doing so, and with Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais‘s latest Birthmarked, that’s where we stay, even as it steers pretty clear of sanity and offers a darkly comedic take on raising kids. It’s purposefully awkward and frazzled and might not have the momentum to keep it’s engine running all the way through, but has many great moments that make it fun.
Catherine (Toni Collette) and Ben (Matthew Goode) are scientists, both from a long line of such, and are looking to make their own mark in the field of nature versus nurture. To that end, they decide to work under the financial support of slightly off-kilter millionaire Gertz (Michael Smiley), adopting two children, Maya (Megan O’Kelly) and Maurice (Anton Gillis-Adelman) to be housed alongside their own as yet unborn son Luke (Jordan Poole). Thing is, Maya comes from a gene pool of let’s say, a not so gifted lineage and Maurice from a genetically violent-prone background. Taking them all to an isolated cabin in the woods, Catherine and Ben plan to raise them entirely opposite of their natural tendencies, making Maya a genius, Maurice a pacifist and Luke an artist. What could go wrong? Over the next eleven years, everything does.
Firstly, Hoss-Desmarais isn’t setting out to make a broad scientific statement, even if something in the process becomes all too apparent. This is a comedy after all and he’s clearly leaving that debate in the hands of those who still haven’t found common ground. What he is up to is using the stage to set up a wild variety of expectations and letdowns that offer plenty of laughs at the expensive of Catherine and Ben. With a hint of Wes Anderson tossed in, we witness the breakdown of the family unit as the children simply don’t respond well to the whole process, leaving their parents coming up short of Gertz’s ambitions.
It starts in the late 1970s but the story is set mostly in 1989, and over all this is Mrs. Tridek (Fionnula Flanagan), Gertz’s stable assistant who narrates the film, guiding us through the terminology and adventures, her campy-ish delivery actually giving the theme of the movie a bit of just-right-of-center authenticity. She’s a great parallel to Gertz, who’s not exactly done right with his wealth and is now looking to solidify his legacy.
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The kids are quite funny and though the story centers a lot on their misguided exploits, it is really about the parents and their slow crumble into a chaotic nightmare of failure, with two surprisingly sharp comedic turns from Collette and Goode. They are the best things going here and keep the zany hijinks energized throughout. This leaves us a bit separated from getting more involved with the children, as they end up being mostly catalyst for comedy, but nonetheless, the dynamic generally works.
Naturally, there’s a familiar arc to it all, and even as it throws a few jolts in the mix to keep us on our toes, it’s not going to anyplace we don’t expect. Goofy and sometimes emotional, this might not have the defining staying power of Parenthood but does have enough to merit a high recommendation.