THE STORY – An unexpected turn in their mother’s health thrusts four adult siblings and their exasperating father into chaos, as they navigate messy family dynamics in the face of potential loss. But their quick-witted mother, June, orchestrates her decline on her own terms — with biting humour, blunt honesty, and a lot of love.
THE CAST – Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn, Fisayo Akinade & Toni Collette
THE TEAM – Kate Winslet (Director) & Joe Anders (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 115 Minutes
With each passing year, we get a new crop of actors who want a shot at the director’s chair, and that was certainly true in 2025. “Spencer” star Kristen Stewart and “Black Widow” actress Scarlett Johansson both surprised audiences at the Cannes Film Festival with their assured portraits of complex women, “The Chronology of Water” and “Eleanor the Great,” respectively, while Kristin Scott Thomas of “Slow Horses” tugged at the heartstrings with her maternal family drama “My Mother’s Wedding.” Now, Academy Award winner Kate Winslet has joined this ever-growing circle with her directorial debut “Goodbye June,” a star-studded, tense family drama which she also stars in and is written by her son, Joe Anders. It’s not particularly splashy, but Winslet’s feature is emotionally mature and grounded as it gets into real issues that many families face, and it’s bolstered by a talented ensemble that delivers.
It’s a few days before Christmas, and elderly grandmother June (Helen Mirren) suffers a fall at home. It brings all her adult children together for the first time in years, but it’s not necessarily a happy reunion. There’s Julia (Winslet), the successful, responsible, older daughter who has far too much on her plate; Molly (Andrea Riseborough), the overworked, stay-at-home mom who needs a break and holds a grudge against Julia; Connor (Johnny Flynn), the shy, quiet son who still lives at home; and Helen (Toni Collette), the spiritual hippie who has run off in search of nirvana. And then there’s their father, Bernie (Timothy Spall), whose main concern is getting the television to work at the hospital and finding his next beer.
There are a lot of feelings and things left unsaid between this family, such as the rift between Julia and Molly that isn’t uncovered until later on in the film, and the tension that Connor feels within himself. But, unfortunately for them, they can’t continue avoiding their issues once they learn that their mother’s cancer has rapidly progressed and that they’ll all be spending a little too much time with each other in the hospital. Cue all the awkward meetings, back-handed comments, and conversations that could turn violent at any moment.
Anders’ screenplay doesn’t particularly give us anything new when it comes to this type of story (“This Is Where I Leave You” and “His Three Daughters” come to mind), but his sincerity comes through. The way this family congregates around and drops everything to be with their matriarch, despite their fractured relationships, is so endearing. The many conversations that are shared between June and her children, such as her coming to terms with the fact that she will not be able to meet Helen’s baby or that she longs to see Julia and Molly reconcile, are quite touching and provide so much healing for this family.
Anders could have easily leaned into overdramatic and cliched drama tropes, but instead, he digs into very real issues that so many family units face, such as insecurity, jealousy, and hurt feelings, all of which help ground this film. The conversation he crafts for Julia and Molly’s “big moment” captures something so deeply personal and intimate between siblings, especially sisters, that it’s truly incredible someone so young could have found the right words for it. Not every character gets quite as much screentime, however, like Connor, who, for most of the film, keeps to himself.
Where this film truly shines is in the performances that Winslet gets out of her cast. Riseborough’s Molly is ready to snap at anyone who gets in her way, and it’s clear she takes great pleasure in telling an annoying doctor she will “punch your cock off your body.” Winslet, Flynn, and Spall don’t have quite as many showy moments, but they and Riseborough’s scenes are always riveting. Collette makes a splash as boho, free-spirited Helen, who is the perfect English counterpart to her “Knives Out” lifestyle guru, but she needed more screentime. The MVPs are Fisayo Akinade, who plays June’s friendly and comforting nurse, and brings such a calming presence to each scene, and Mirren, who always embodies class and poise in any role.
You’ll know where “Goodbye June” is headed very early on, but that doesn’t mean there’s not enough here to enjoy along the way. Winslet’s family drama may not get a whole lot of conversation around it, but it’s the type of drama that’s nice to see in an era of remakes, sequels, and whatever else Hollywood thinks audiences want. Grounded by an emotionally mature screenplay and a wickedly talented cast at its core, “Goodbye June” might just be the Christmas movie to watch this year.
