What Happens in Blue Heron?
The complete story of Blue Heron, from the first scene to the last, in 357 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
A Hungarian immigrant family relocate to Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. The family consists of the two parents, and four children. Jeremy is the couple’s oldest son, but his father is from his mother’s previous relationship. The remaining three children are a few years younger than Jeremy. Among them is Sasha, who is the eldest daughter.
Jeremy engages in risky and disturbing behavior such as petty theft, climbing to dangerous heights, disappearing for long lengths of time, bullying the other children, exhibiting bursts of rage, and creating annoying noises. Jeremy is emotionally and verbally closed off, talking infrequently and almost never discussing his internal feelings. At the same time Jeremy also demonstrates the capacity for kindness towards his siblings and an exceptional talent in drawing maps. The family struggles to understand Jeremy.
The parents have tried a variety of therapeutic and parental strategies to improve Jeremy’s behavior, but nothing produces long-lasting improvements. After several more incidents, the parents consult with a social worker who recommends voluntary placement, where Jeremy would be sent to live with a different family. The parents are aghast at the suggestion, but also feel that they have exhausted all other options. They therefore proceed with the voluntary placement.
Years later in 2025, an adult Sasha attempts to process her memories of her older brother. It is implied that Jeremy took his own life or disappeared after being placed in voluntary placement. The process becomes a personal journey and project of understanding and reconciliation. Sasha gathers several social workers and hopes that thirty years of advancement in social work will provide an answer to Jeremy’s behavior, thereby giving some closure to the family. Sasha is disappointed to hear that voluntary placement is once again the consensus strategy. Sasha despairs in her perceived failure to find the solution that would have worked for Jeremy. Sasha reaches out to everyone who knew Jeremy in the 1990s, including his high school friends and therapist. The film closes with a response from one of Jeremy’s friends, who acknowledges the trouble that they often sought out, but also offers a more optimistic account of Jeremy than previously known.
