Goodbye June

Leave it to Helen Mirren, portraying the title character in Goodbye June, to command the screen despite spending almost every scene bedridden and infirmed.

June’s fate is inevitable in this directorial debut from actress Kate Winslet, a British drama that aims to be a life-affirming movie about death, except that contrivances undercut the deeper emotional impact. At least it benefits from a top-notch cast.

As the film openes, sisters Julia (Winslet) and Molly (Andrea Riseborough) rush to join their younger brother, Connor (Johnny Flynn), at the hospital.

Doctors tell them that June’s cancer has spread and she’s dying. Making it to Christmas in two weeks would be a best-case scenario for their beloved family matriarch.

With emotions still raw, they gather more relatives, including their father (Timothy Spall), who adores June but is dealing with an array of physical and psychological ailments. Their free-spirited sister (Toni Collette) is next on the scene, and some grandchildren follow.

The news brings out both the best and the worst in the siblings — reigniting old rivalries and dysfunctional tendencies, while also bringing them closer together and reinforcing an unspoken support system. Everyone has their own cathartic coping mechanisms.

Their behavior reflects a mix of confusion, uncertainty, anger, and sadness, as they scramble to make the most of the time she has left. June’s hospital room becomes the site for a makeshift family reunion.

Along the way, each member of the ensemble takes a calculated turn in the spotlight in the screenplay by Joe Anders, Winslet’s 22-year-old son. The esteemed troupe brings depth to characters that otherwise are disproportionately defined by their eccentricities.

As her health deteriorates, the film carries a quiet dignity, even if it starts to feel like more of an acting workshop that might have been a better fit on stage.

Setting the story during the holidays adds a layer of sentimentality that becomes excessive in the final act. However, it offers a poignant glimpse into the individual nature of processing grief and confronting mortality almost as a rite of passage.

Aside from the script, it’s hard to avoid feeling depressed while watching Goodbye June, especially for anyone who’s endured similar travails in real life. It becomes harder to laugh through the tears.

Rated R, 114 minutes.