THE BUTTERFLY TREE
Australia, 2017, 98 minutes, Colour.
Melissa George, Ewen Leslie, Ed Oxenbould, Sophie Lowe.
Directed by Priscilla Cameron.
This is a drama set in a Queensland town, some filming at Mount Tambourine. While it is a Queensland story, it could be universal. The focus is on three central characters.
And the title? Finn, the teenager of the film, is a serious collector of butterflies and other insects, cataloguing them, mounting them, photographing them. There is a tree on the grounds of the house owned by his father which also has a tree, full of butterflies. He is played by Ed Oxenbould.
Visually, the film wants to communicate to the audience that Evelyn, a middle-aged woman who has come to settle in the town, is, symbolically, a butterfly. During the opening credits, we see her dancing, her costume elaborate, wings like a giant butterfly. In fact, she is a burlesque performer, with a partial striptease, and dancing on rollerskates. There will be later allusions to her as a butterfly throughout the film. She is played by Melissa George.
The third central character is Al, the widower who is Finn’s father. He teaches at a local campus and is involved with one of the students, Sophie Lowe, to the disapproval of the authorities. He is played by Ewen Leslie.
Evelyn, the attractive butterfly, encounters Al by chance, his wanting to buy a display case that she has in a garage sale so that he can give it to Finn. The two are attracted, his coming back to get his wallet which he lost at her shop and greenhouse, promising to return. In the meantime, Finn encounters her, buying some flowers to commemorate his dead mother, and her offering him a job. He experiences an intense adolescent infatuation.
All does not go smoothly because Al wants to break off with the student, experiencing something a breakdown when she confronts him and he weeps. There is tension between himself and his son, his son holding the memory of his mother sacred and resenting his father’s affairs.
And, as we expect, there will be tension between father and son because of Evelyn.
There is a further complication with Evelyn, the reason she has come to the town, why she is not dancing, a problem with health.
But, the butterflies prevail and the audience will leave the cinema more cheered than depressed.
1. An Australian story? Universal story? tragedy? Loneliness, relationships?
2. The Queensland setting, the town, homes, school, the open road, the store and the greenhouse? Hospitals? The musical score?
3. The title, Finn and his love for butterflies? His tree? And the images of Evelyn as a butterfly?
4. The credits, the focus on Evelyn, burlesque, exotic dancing, the butterfly wings, her costume, striptease, her body? The rollerskates? At home, re-creating the dances and the costume? Finn and his photographing her, the album?
5. Finn, at home, his room, memories of his mother, the shrine, the flowers? The later flashbacks and her dancing with Al, being with Finn? His age, experience, loneliness? Clashes with his father, his father and the girlfriend, Finn watching? On his bike, buying the flowers, the attraction to Evelyn, her kindness towards him, offering him the job? The gift of the camera? His taking the photos, taking them to the shop, the development, putting the photos in an album? The photos of the breasts? Al finding them? Finn’s anger at his father?
6. Al, relationship with Shelley? The tension at home with his son? The meals? His going to the school, the principal and asking him about relationships? Shelley coming in, her advances, his wanting to break it off? Her pursuing him to the home, stripping, taunting him? His weeping and her leaving? His driving, seeing the garage sale, stopping to buy the display case? The encounter with Evelyn, the attraction? Inviting him back? His losing his wallet and the return, their talk, her giving him the wallet?
7. Finn, his infatuation, touching Evelyn? The photos?
8. Evelyn, her health, the documents, her having to go to hospital? Finn and his visits? The mastectomy? The aftermath?
9. Finn, angry, going to Evelyn, staying in the car? Returning, Al’s anger, chopping down the tree, freeing the butterflies? Finn’s reaction?
10. The aftermath, hospital, then taking his father, Al in the hospital, recovering? Giving Finn the letter with his wife’s suicide note? The effect on Finn?
11. The happiness of the final credits, Evelyn recovered, father and son, everybody joyfully dancing?
