The new A24 indie Janet Planet focuses on the complicated bond between mother and daughter. There is closeness and love within that relationship but also anxiety and even failure. Written and directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Baker, Janet Planet looks at that complexity yet the overall expression of the story is too slow to capitalize on any clear emotion, save for regret.

 

Set in the summer of 1991 in rural Massachusetts, Janet (Julianne Nicholson) is a single mother raising her depressed daughter Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) the best she can. Lacy has no friends - but admits she would like to - so after deciding to leave camp, she spends her summer at home  trapped with her imagination and latched onto her mom.

 

Janet Planet is divided into three segments, each following a different individual who becomes trapped in Janet’s orbit, often to the near-jealous chagrin of Lacy. Wayne (Will Patton), is Janet’s boyfriend at the time. Wayne has a daughter from a previous marriage, whom Lacy sees a possible friendship with - until Wayne leaves. Chapter two focuses on Regina (Sophie Okonedo), a friend from a local art commune who appreciates the free room and board - but not Lacy’s use of her shampoo. The always-wonderful Elias Koteas’ Avi drifts into the third segment as yet another potential lover and yet another doomed anchor. 

 

Nicholson is exceptional in her role. She is tired; weary with her lot in life as a home-based acupuncturist and even as a mom. She loves Lacy but certainly wants more for her daughter and more out of love. There is an immense sense of silence and stillness in Nicholson’s character, as well as in Janet Planet itself. Perhaps too much so as the film’s quietness amplifies the slowness of the narrative. Nicholson words some beautiful, deep dialogue but such discussions are too brief and oftentimes too-late to provide a connecting relevance to the overall plot as well as concerning Lacy’s emotional state.

 

Although emotionally strong, Janet Planet is a slow-moving indie that tries to impress stylistically rather than as a chronicle. There is a quiet masculine sense to the movie that counters with its endearing feminine side. As with many relationships, the two have a difficult time inhabiting the same place. Baker employs the Kevin Smith directorial style of having two characters walk into the camera frame, say their lines, and promptly exit much too frequently. The saving grace of the movie is Maria von Hausswolff’s rich and welcoming photography, which again, aligning with the opposing nature of the film, contracts with Baker’s sparse direction and story. 

Janet Planet is more of a situational drama than a coming of age as Lacy really does not progress. Janet does, but her ecliptic path will no doubt bring her back to a similar position in life. Janet Planet is frustratingly slow yet is pleasantly realistic with its voyeuristic depiction of a single family. And whereas Janet might be Lacy’s life, a yearning for true discovery outside of those familial confines would have made for a stronger landing.