“RAIN REIGN”

For so long, films about neurodivergent or disabled folks were extraordinarily limited. They still are, by and large, but there’s certainly been an increase in these sorts of stories, especially those following children. In recent years, films like “Wonder” and “Out of My Mind” have given a family-friendly look into children who just want to be accepted and treated like every other kid. Adapted from Ann M. Martin’s novel, “Rain Reign” joins this growing list of family films about a neurodivergent character struggling to adapt to a world that doesn’t function the way they want it to. Here, while many of the coming-of-age elements feel repetitive or overly familiar, the film’s frank tone helps to keep it afloat.

“Rain Reign” stars newcomer Felice Kakaletris as Rose, a 12-year-old neurodivergent girl who is dependent on routines, rules, and order. When someone isn’t following the rules, whether a schedule, road laws, or even rules of grammar, she has a tough time coping with the change. This makes things difficult for her at school, especially after she’s kicked off the bus when her disruptions cause a minor car accident. She’s also got a thing for homonyms and loves to find them in her everyday life, relishing the double meaning that so many words contain, helping her to find more depth in the mundane. Her own name, of course, is a homonym, as is the name she gives the dog that her dad rescues off the street: Rain. Kakaletris, a neurodivergent actress, thrives in this lead role, filling her lovely performance with the anxiousness of feeling out of control. Her measured delivery lets us see behind Rose’s shields and feel her heartache and frustration, even if she seems straight-faced on the outside.

Rose’s dad, Wesley, played by Jeremy Sisto, cares for her mostly on his own. Her mom died many years ago, though he didn’t have the heart to tell Rose that; instead, he told her that she had left. When Rose is kicked off the bus, it begins a challenging run for Wesley, who is barely hanging onto his job as a mechanic, and can’t afford to lose hours to take her to and from school. Thankfully, his brother, Rose’s Uncle Weldon (Paul Rudd), offers to step up, even though the brothers aren’t very close. Wesley is a gruff, frustrated dad, barely hanging on. Yes, Rose brings challenges, but it’s his emotions that are frayed. Past trauma is catching up to him, and it’s making caring for his daughter quite the challenge. Sisto brings a good deal of depth to a role that could’ve been one-dimensional in lesser hands. Rudd, back with Sisto in an unexpected “Clueless” reunion, is his polar opposite, caring for Rose with more gentle understanding and connection. As Wesley’s past traumas start to catch up with him, Weldon picks up the slack, providing more stability for Rose.

While there are one or two animated flourishes that bring Rose’s homonyms to life, the filmmaking in “Rain Reign” is relatively straightforward. But director/writer Erika Burke Rossa brings a great deal of empathy and restraint to this sensitive story, letting the backstory unfold slowly, letting us into Wesley’s pain a little bit at a time. Rossa takes care to peel back Wesley’s layers a little bit at a time, allowing us to more fully understand why he’s having such a hard time as a father. The story swirls between showing who cares for Rose, who cares for Rain, and who cared for Wesley as a kid, ultimately creating a moving portrait of family and love.

As a coming-of-age middle school story, it straddles the line between grown-up storytelling, like that of Wesley’s struggles with parenthood, and the more family-friendly side of the story, with Rose caring for her dog. Even Rose’s narration, which drops in and out, feels clunky and forced, holding the hand of the viewer to tell them what Rose is doing and feeling, even though Kakaletris is plenty capable of getting that across without the narration.

Like the homonyms Rose loves so much, some of the film’s meanings resonate more deeply than others. “Rain Reign” rarely surprises, but its compassion, both for Rose and Wesley, and their challenging dynamic, make this familiar material difficult to dismiss.