By John Corrado

Hailey (Em Haine) returns home to the Nova Scotia coast years after walking out on her family in the Canadian dramedy Hailey Rose, which shines a light on a quirky but complicated family.

Hailey drolly narrates this complicated family history over a series of flashbacks in the film’s opening sequence. She tells us that her mother Olga (Kari Matchett) has always been a cold presence in her life, preferring to take a “tough love” approach to raising her daughter.

Hailey’s deepest connection growing up was with her father (Billy MacLellan), who drowned while out fishing, with Hailey made to feel guilty for not being there when he died. She has been living with her partner Syd (Riley Reign) in Calgary ever since leaving her family and heading West, causing rumours to swirl back home about her being a lesbian.

Hailey is so distanced from her family, that she refers to them simply as “blood relatives.” When she gets a frantic phone call regarding a family emergency from her sister Rose (Caitlynne Medrek), who always shared a deeper bond with their mother, Hailey reluctantly heads back home. She finds a town much like she left it, with the locals surprised by her return after her abrupt departure. Among other revelations, she finds out that she has inherited her father’s fishing boat (it’s this boat, named Hailey Rose after the man’s two daughters, that gives the films its dual name title).

Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Sandi Somers, making her sophomore feature, Hailey Rose plays out as a mix between family drama and quirky comedy. Despite its darker subject matter, this is an often peppy film, with Somers utilizing bright colours (including Rose’s colourful wardrobe) and stylized onscreen graphics. This makes the film often breezily enjoyable to watch, not least of which because of the East Coast setting, but the balance between tones sometimes works better than others.

The film’s quirky indie movie touches don’t always land, including the jokey and somewhat stereotyped portrayal of Rose’s perceived mental health struggles, and there is a last act revelation that isn’t handled as gracefully as it could have been. But throughout this shaggy Maritime dramedy there still emerges a sincere portrait of a broken family coming back together.

Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)

Hailey Rose opens exclusively in select cities in limited release on April 5th, including Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas in Toronto. It’s being distributed in Canada by Sphere Films.