From Omeleto.
Two siblings care for their mother.
THE WEIGHT OF HOME is used with permission from Jessica Rookeward and Tamiah Bantum. Learn more at https://rookeward-cohenproductions.com.
Matt is the grown son of a mother who is seriously ill, and he’s managing the caretaking of his parents and that of his own life and home. He’s handling it okay, but it is overwhelming. When his sister Rachel calls from Boston, where she’s studying abroad, Matt tries to be cheerful and full of good news, but he’s still resentful that most of the load has fallen on him.
But when their mother’s health takes a sudden turn for the worse, Matt’s proximity becomes a gift, just as Rachel finally realizes the impact of time and distance will have on her life.
Directed by Jessica Rookeward and Tamiah Bantum from a script written by Rookeward, this powerful short drama delves into the emotional turmoil of being physically distant while a loved one is dying back home. Through its emotionally intimate, naturalistic storytelling, it captures the harrowing guilt accompanying such situations, along with the profound sense of helplessness and sorrow experienced by those separated from their families during critical times.
The measured yet raw storytelling first puts us in Matt’s shoes as he takes on the burden of caregiving. Balancing the demands of his own life and family with those of caring for his seriously ill mother, he is stressed and overwhelmed. The astute visuals pick up on the signs of disorder in an otherwise warm home full of happy memories, giving us the sense that things have gone awry over time. But the agony of Matt’s situation isn’t just the overwhelming logistics. It’s also the emotional sadness and anger at watching his mother suffer. And when his sister Rachel video-calls from abroad, where she’s studying and working, he carries all of that in the form of a quietly simmering resentment.
Rachel, however, calls under the impression that she is just checking in, assuring Matt she will be home in a few days and will be there to help out. But she picks up on Matt’s worn-down demeanor and irritation. They argue, both accusing and getting defensive and actors Connor Delves and Jessica Rookeward capture their fundamental perspectives with balance and honesty.
Rachel tries to be positive and understanding, but she cannot understand Matt’s reality, because she is simply not there, witnessing the sometimes brutal reality of caring for an ill parent and perhaps the unpredictable, equally devastating realities of illness. When Matt gets devastating news from his mother’s caretaker, he must drop everything, including his call with Rachel — though Rachel finally comes to witness and understand the stark reality of what’s happening. She can only stand by, helpless, as the family’s world turns on its axis towards an inevitable shift.
Her understanding — and her inability to have any effect on it — brings us to the heartwrenching conclusion of THE WEIGHT OF HOME, which will likely resonate with anyone who cannot be there during a family crisis or to say goodbye to a loved one who passes quickly or suddenly. No matter how far away she is, she still feels its pull — but the distance also exert its own effect on her experience, making it even more poignant and sharp in its pain and sadness.
