A 2015 film that centers around a young woman who is forced to confront the demons from her past while taking care of ailing abusive father.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents:
- David was this. It later turns out, in a strange example, that he was only this to Ruby. He sexually abused her at one point, but didn't touch Belle.
- Gayle was also this. When Ruby revealed that David raped her, Gayle viciously calls Ruby a liar and at one point slaps her.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Gayle is remembered as a wonderful woman especially for putting up with David. Even some of Belle's flashbacks show she was a good person. However, it's soon revealed that she wasn't as nice or sweet as people thought, as she covered up David's rape of Ruby and then (in spirit form) trying to convince Belle that she did nothing wrong.
- Bittersweet Ending: Belle has a job, is in a healthy relationship with Jeremy, and has confronted the traumas from her past. However, Aunt Helen is horrified to learn that her daughter Ruby killed herself because David raped her and her own sister covered it up. Plus, despite moving on from the past, Belle (understandably) will not forgive her parents.
- Book Ends: The film begins and ends with a funeral. First, Gayle's, then David's.
- Calling the Old Woman Out: When the spirit of Gayle returns to talk with Belle, her daughter tears into her mother for all of the horrible things she did, the biggest was covering up David's rape of Ruby, and then trying to act like she didn't do anything.
- Domestic Abuse: David was physically and sexually abusive to Gayle.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Whenever someone (usually Aunt Helen) refers to Belle as "Bellissima", she makes it quite clear that she doesn't want to be called that.
- Driven to Suicide: The cause behind Ruby's death. She killed herself out of the trauma from being raped by David and Gayle not believing her, with Aunt Helen finding out the reason years later.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Once Belle decides to clean up her act, she takes out the weave from her head and goes back to her natural hair.
- Friends with Benefits: Belle sleeps with her Caucasian (who is referred to as "white boy") roommate when she can't pay rent.
- I Am Not My Mother: When Gayle's spirit tries to say how she and Belle are alike, the latter vehemently states that she's different from her mother.
- Marital Rape License: David at one point rapes Gayle.
- A Minor Kidroduction: The movie opens with Belle and Ruby as children playing together.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Aunt Helen is revealed to be the biological mother of Ruby, who died prior to the movie.
- Pet the Dog: Deconstructed. Flashbacks from her child heavily imply that while David was abusive to Gayle and Ruby, he never did anything particularly violent to Belle. However, this doesn't change or excuse the horrible and unforgivable acts he did to both Gayle and Ruby, especially the latter.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: David is the closest to being the villain of the movie, and Belle's flashbacks showed that David beating and raping Gayle for trying to get a job and "be the man of the house".
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: The biggest reason why Belle hates her father so much is because he would rape her mother, and later Ruby.
- Title Drop: During a flashback to one of Belle's happier moments with her family, David states the movie's title after finishing making a swing set for Ruby and Belle.
- Wham Line: Aunt Helen to Belle: "I'm Ruby's mother!"
- Wham Shot: Two shots that showed just why Belle hated her parents.
- David raping Ruby and Gayle later denying what happened.
- Belle discovering Ruby's dead body in the bath tub.
