Rain Beau’s End is without doubt an unconventional LGBT drama with its heart in the right place. It isn’t always successful in the messages its trying to convey and makes a decision to never show the couple’s child onscreen. This can sometimes make it difficult to form emotional connection to the character of Beau. The lesbian couple instead bears the brunt of the screentime, and the sharp screenplay laser-focuses on their relationship. The small-scale feel adds a level of intimacy that these types of dramas often overlook.
In the midst of her run as Mayor, ambitious Hannah (Janelle Snow) and empathetic Jules (Amanda Powell) adopt a 4 year-old child named Beau. His bizarre behavior escalates out of control, but a child psychologist offers up a possible diagnosis. Beau has something called Jacob’s Syndrome and an extra Y chromosome. Navigating the stress inherent with being a public figure and their son’s increasingly wild behavior proves the ultimate quandary in the relationship between Hannah and Jules.
The score of the film and the melancholic mood it evokes is consistently well-executed. The performances are the shining star of Rain Beau’s End, with both Powell and Snow trying their hardest. Janelle Snow in particular gets some hefty heartbreaking weight near the climax that serves as a grand showcase for her acting range. Watching the dynamic between the couple is occasionally tiring, as the audience remains blind to the difficulties of Beau’s actions. We learn about many of the crazy things Beau has done, but we never see a single one of them. The script exhausts every possible reason why Beau isn’t in the room. This does serve to strengthen the lesbian relationship at the core, as both women grapple with acceptance in their own way.
Voracious seekers of LGBT content will devour this flawed examination of love, loss, and acceptance. The movie is teeming with bold ideas and complicated sentiment, despite a few noticeable flaws. The pace is off-kilter thanks to the absence of a key character. However, it is so refreshing to have a story set around a lesbian couple that isn’t just ‘coming out of the closet.’ A pair of good performances are waiting for you at Rain Beau’s End when the film comes exclusively to Lesflicks on Monday, March 8th.
Check out my interview with the film’s director Tracy Wren, and screenwriter Jennifer Cooney here.
