Michelle West’s Lineage tells the story of a young girl growing up in Depression-era California, where poverty, secrecy, and family tension weigh heavily on her shoulders. We open in Depression-era California with 13-year-old Betty (Cailin Peluso) reading aloud from The Wizard of Oz while her sisters play nearby. Their world is quickly disrupted when Mr. Hoover arrives, demanding that the family prepare the home for the long-awaited arrival of his wife, as Betty’s mother (Michelle West) works for him as a housekeeper.
Unable to take on the additional hours, Mother tells Betty she must give up school to help work Sundays, a decision that angers Betty. Tensions rise further as her father (Kyle Williams), prone to tall tales and a narcissistic approach to the family finances, is confronted by his wife about the family car being repossessed, then storms out, revealing that he knows about his wife’s secret stash.
As Betty tries to make sense of her fractured home, she discovers her mother’s hidden savings and questions why she has to quit school. Her grandmother offers clarity, revealing that her father lost the rent money gambling and often hides behind his temper. The truth forces Betty to see her parents differently—her father as unreliable and her mother as hardened by years of disappointment. The strained household leaves Betty feeling trapped between her parents’ conflicts, family debts, and her own lost childhood.
The family gathers around the dinner table in Lineage, revealing the strain of secrets and financial hardship.
“The truth forces Betty to see her parents differently — her father as unreliable and her mother as hardened by years of disappointment.”
As the story unfolds, things don’t get much better for Betty, and Mr. Hoover has a wandering eye. Written and directed by Michelle West, Lineage is primarily about Betty, who is caught between the tough circumstances her family finds themselves in and the conflict between her mother and father and between her mother and Mr. Hoover, who allows them to stay on his property. Betty feels not only the frustration of not being able to control her own life, but the guilt that maybe everything going wrong is her fault.
In the second half, the story becomes one of a woman’s choice and control over her body. Yes, it’s a very pro-choice/pro-abortion message. It raises a question for all who subscribe to a 100% pro-life position. On the one hand, life is full of tough choices leading to tough decisions. At the same time, the world we live in is very different than 1933 California. I’ll just leave it at that.
As a film, West tells a powerful story. It’s almost impossible to feel sympathy for Betty, which in the end is what good storytelling does.
As the title implies, Lineage is about more than one girl’s coming of age. It’s about the scars we carry from one generation to the next and the choices they are forced to make. While the past shapes the person we are, the decisions we make shape the person we will be.
For screening information, visit the official website of Lineage.
"…about the scars we carry from one generation to the next."
