''Daffodils'' is a 2019 New Zealand

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film directed by David Stubbs. It stars

Rose McIver Frances Rose McIver (born 10 October 1988) is a New Zealand actress. She starred as Olivia "Liv" Moore in The CW supernatural comedy-drama series '' iZombie'' (2015–2019) and played Summer Landsdown the Yellow Ranger in ''Power Rangers RPM'' ...

and

George Mason George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the three delegates present who refused to sign the Constitution. His writings, including s ...

. Based on the award-winning New Zealand stage play, inspired by a true story, the film follows an indie musician who recounts her parents’ bittersweet romance, after being told about it by her father on his death bed.

Plot

Leaving her dying father's bedside, singer Maisie (

Kimbra Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...

) rushes to perform at an indie music gig in town. But as she sings the opening song, it is hard for her to ignore the heartfelt story she has just been told – the story of how her dad met and fell in love with her mother, and how it all devastatingly fell apart. As the night goes on, the love story of her father, Eric (

), and her mother, Rose (

), is shown through Maisie's eyes. From the time they meet in Hamilton in 1966, to their separation in the 1980s, we follow the bittersweet nuances of a couple's life, expressed with contemporary re-imaginings of well-known New Zealand songs of artists such as

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...

Bic Runga Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the Recording Industry Association of New Ze ...

and

Dave Dobbyn Sir David Joseph Dobbyn (born 3 January 1957) is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then he ...

Cast

as Rose *

as Eric * Jodie Hillock as Maureen *

as Maisie *

Mark Mitchinson Mark Mitchinson (born 6 July 1966) is an English-born New Zealand actor. He trained at the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama in London. He won an award for his portrayal of convicted murderer Colin Bouwer in the television drama ''Bloodlines ...

as Barry * Tandi Wright as Eileen * Byron Coll as Stuart * Osgar Gilbert as Eric's Sibling * Linus Gilbert as Eric's Sibling * Enoch Gilbert as Eric's Sibling * Raffaella Gilbert as Family Friend * Marie-Therese Gilbert as Family Friend

Production

''Daffodils'' won the annual Vista Film Marketing competition in 2017. Principal photography began on 21 February 2018. Filming began in February 2018 and took place in

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service ...

, and

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. The band

Lips The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

(Steph Brown and Fen Ikner), who had arranged and performed the music for the stage play (along with guitarist Abraham Kunin), continued their role as musical directors for the film.

Release

The film was released in New Zealand cinemas on 21 March 2019 and on 3 July for DVD and digital release.

References

External links

* *{{Rotten Tomatoes, daffodils, Daffodils 2019 films 2010s musical drama films 2010s English-language films New Zealand musical drama films New Zealand films based on plays