Bicoastal production company Supply&Demand has signed director Matt Smukler whose body of work spans branded films, commercials, music videos, documentaries and now a feature film with the 2023 release of Wildflower.
The comedy-drama–which marks the director’s narrative feature debut–has a cast which includes Jean Smart (Hacks, 24), Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone, Animal Kingdom), Dash Mihok (Ray Donovan, Silver Linings Playbook), Charlie Plummer (Looking for Alaska, Lean on Pete), Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), Alexandra Daddario (Mayfair Witches, Baywatch), and in a starring role, Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). Wildflower–which also introduces actor Samantha Hyde–hit theaters in March and will begin streaming on Hulu on June 23.
Wildflower–which made its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival–is a heartfelt and humorous story of a teenage girl, coming of age as the neurotypical daughter of two neurodivergent parents who raised her as much as she raised them. It’s a tender and often hilarious film that showcases Smukler’s ability to evoke grounded performances full of nuance, humor, heart, and poignancy.
As for his ad industry endeavors, Smukler–previously repped by production house Rakish–has helmed campaigns for such high-profile brands as Toyota, MINI, Verizon, Coca-Cola, the NFL and Budweiser. His work has appeared on the Super Bowl and garnered numerous awards.
“The emotion behind Matt’s films really stay with you. Even if it’s a 30-second commercial, the feelings he evokes stick with you all day,” said Matt Zion-Basile, executive producer at Supply&Demand. “We had to have Matt among our roster of talented filmmakers, and we look forward to supporting him as he brings his powerful storytelling to our esteemed clients and brands.”
Film's genesis
Smukler spoke to SHOOT just prior to the theatrical release of Wildflower in March. The movie had an unlikely beginning, rooted in a short film Smukler devised as a companion piece to an essay his niece Christina had penned for her college application. The short, which highlighted her experiences caring for neurodivergent parents, evolved into a lauded feature-length documentary in 2020. Directed by Smukler, it too was titled Wildflower.
While in development on another project, which was originally slated to be his first narrative feature, Smukler recalled screenwriting collaborator Jana Savage observing that the story told in the documentary had tremendous promise as a narrative film. Perhaps she had enough distance from the story to see what Smukler at first didn’t. But he came to realize that Savage was correct in her assessment. Still, Smukler did not want to directly re-create the documentary in a narrative feature. Instead it needed to be a feature inspired by the documentary, serving as a jumping-off point to delve into and capture the spirit of an atypical family and make it relatable to viewers from all walks of life. He and Savage went to work to realize that vision.
Shipka stars as Bea Johnson, a high school student looking to make sense out of and balance ordinary teen struggles with extraordinary domestic obstacles. Born to neurodivergent parents (portrayed by Hyde and Mihok) who are fiercely independent, Bea feels obliged to take care of them, unwilling to spring out of the nest to go to the college of her dreams–even though she has the academic chops to do so. However, it’s not certain she’s even going to make it to high school graduation as at the outset of the film we find her in a coma for unknown reasons. Bea’s witty, at times bewildered voiceover takes us through the journey of her life, eventually explaining how she wound up in a coma, and the wisdom she came to realize upon coming to consciousness.
While the casting of Shipka as Bea was vital, Smukler said that the most essential role to fill was that of her mom, Sharon (portrayed by Hyde). “From the beginning it was always critical that we cast the role of Sharon with a neurodivergent actor. That was not negotiable,” said Smukler who affirmed that he would not have done the movie if they didn’t find Hyde who made her feature acting debut with Wildflower.
Instrumental in that bit of casting, among making other invaluable contributions, was Elaine Hall, founder of the Collaborating with RespectAbility and Miracle Project. Smukler credited her with helping in the effort to do full justice to both the story and the neurodivergent community, “making sure we got the tone right.”
Achieving the proper tone was a key priority for Smukler who described the juxtaposition of comedy and drama as “a real balancing act.” The director was sensitive and conscious of having the comedy play right–laughing with the characters, not at them. He wanted the kind of comedy that exists within a family, helping to make the family and the characters that much more accessible to an audience.
Smukler added that veteran actor Mihok brought much to his role as Derek who is Bea’s dad and Sharon’s husband. Smukler noted that Mihok has been vocal about having Tourette syndrome. And while Derek’s condition is different that Tourette syndrome, Smukler observed that Mihok possesses “a certain empathy” which he brought to his portrayal of Derek. Furthermore, continued Smukler, Mihok was great in supporting Hyde, bringing his sensitivity to her as well as his extensive acting experience which dates back to childhood.
In the big picture, Smukler said that from the very beginning–with the documentary and then this narrative feature–his goal was to get folks to be more aware of their preconceived notions of what it means to have a so-called disability, what it’s like to live with being neurodivergent. “My hope is after you watch this movie, that perception may shift a little bit.” Smukler observed that people have much in common, all dealing with a lot of the same issues. And the spirit, love and optimism of the core and extended family in Wildflower, folks living their lives and not being overly critical, carries valuable lessons for all of us.
Laughter, tears
Tim Case, Supply&Demand founder/owner said that he and company executive producer/managing director Charleen Manca “both laughed and we cried” while watching Smukler’s body of work. “What more needs be said,” affirmed Case.
Said Smukler on joining Supply&Demand, “Upon meeting Tim and Matt [Zion-Basile], I immediately saw kindred spirits and a passion for our business that was absolutely infectious. It became very obvious to me that these two would be fantastic partners moving forward. And despite what everyone was saying, Tim’s ping pong acumen only partially influenced my decision.”
–reporting by Robert Goldrich
