Petunia

We have been adopted by a four-legged dependent, a quadruped who has worked her way into our lives, our routines and, more importantly, our hearts. So, Petunia is a story I can relate to. In fact, as I am putting this review together, Emma has just hopped up beside me, taken a peek at the screen, and placed her paw on me. I can only assume this is her way of reminding me that, when writing about cats, one had better get it right.

As any cat owner will tell you, these little creatures are not simply pets. They are family. For those who don’t understand that attachment, it can be surprisingly difficult to explain. We don’t own them quite as much as we are owned by them. They have their own personalities, their own demands and, occasionally, their own rather unforgiving opinions of us. And another thing: if an animal doesn’t like you, they are usually right!

Alex examines a strip of film negatives in a scene from Petunia.

“Alex is struggling to establish his professional identity and find his voice, while Lily attempts to maintain her position in the corporate world.”

In Petunia, the illness of a “gift” orange kitten becomes the catalyst for examining something considerably larger: the precarious business of being young, in love, and financially unprepared for the realities of adult life. What initially appears to be a modest story about two people desperately trying to save an animal gradually develops into a portrait of emotional uncertainty, economic anxiety, and the compromises that relationships inevitably demand. The other side of it is that it shows there are some people out there who should not have an animal, as they simply are not ready. The couple in the film do at times reflect that with basic cat care eluding them. They use technology for everything else but looking up cat care.

Alex, played by Charlie McDermott, and Vanessa Marano as Lily are trying to establish themselves in Los Angeles, a city that has never been particularly forgiving to people with artistic ambitions or limited bank balances. Alex is a photographer’s assistant to his brother Joe, played by a guy who loved tough love, John Ross Bowie. Alex is struggling to establish his professional identity and find his voice, while Lily attempts to maintain her position in the corporate world. Petunia, a fragile orange kitten, is Lily’s gift to Alex on his birthday, which he is not prepared for; in fact, neither of them is.

So when Petunia falls mysteriously ill, Alex and Lily’s desperation takes over completely. Veterinary bills begin accumulating, credit cards reach their limits, and pawn shops become necessary stops in an increasingly desperate attempt to find money. The couple is suddenly confronted with questions that go beyond the immediate problem of paying for treatment. How much are they prepared to sacrifice? What does responsibility actually mean? What are real-life choices and life directions, such as marriage to a person that perhaps you see for the first time in a different light? When circumstances become difficult, does love bring people together or expose the weaknesses that were already there?