Film Review: CLUTTER

I was fortunate to get the opportunity to attend the world premiere of Paul Marcarelli’s new film, Clutter. Here’s my review of the film.

After the world premiere screening, Paul Marcarelli, the screenwriter of Clutter, shared with the audience in Seattle that he originally had planned to write a film about a home stager attempting to break into her career. Instead, Marcarelli created a film that attempts to capture hoarding disorder (HD) and the effects of living in and growing up in a hoarded home.

The film gives us a glimpse into the lives of the Bradford family. The Bradfords are really not much different than most other American families, searching for the next “thing” to make them feel good enough, safe enough, something enough. The matriarch of the Bradford family is Linda, masterfully portrayed by Carol Kane (Taxi, Beetlejuice) whose “collection-ing” is intensified by a traumatic life event. Now, Linda (Kane) is left to raise three children in a home that has everything except enough room to breathe.

An unusual event draws the attention of outsiders, leading to the threat of Linda’s home being condemned due to the overflow of Linda’s possessions. Faced with the risk of becoming homeless, Charlie (Joshua Leonard), Lisa (Natasha Lyonne), and Penny (Halley Feiffer) work to remedy the home situation. This is a feat that can only be managed while keeping Linda away from the house and distracted. Linda’s adult children attempt to clear the hoard from the family’s home.

The effects of hoarding disorder on Linda and her children is perfectly captured and communicated as real dysfunction that impacts every area of their lives, not simply their interactions with each other and in the home. Offering a fresh glimpse into the effects of a home that contains no safe place for anyone, the film offers a peek into the reality of life with a parent who hoards for many families. There’s simply no place to rest and renew. The effects of this are all-encompassing.

I deeply appreciate Kane’s portrayal of the eccentricities of the hoarding-disordered mother. I was not surprised by this, as Kane is known for her ability to play off-the-wall characters. Personally, I can’t imagine offering this role to another actress. I have been told my mother, my parent who hoards, reminds many people of Kane. Not to be ignored, Leonard walks the fine line of dysfunction, angry brother, and enabling son with the finesse of a child who has lived this lifestyle. Additionally, Lyonne and Feiffer deliver solid performances of the black sheep and the invisible child, respectively.

Perhaps what this film does best is to present a less triggering portrayal of a family affected by hoarding disorder than has been previously brought to the masses. Rest assured the home is sufficiently cluttered to merit the destruction of healthy relationships as witnessed in this family, but also know that gross filth, extreme personality-disordered parenting, and unlikable characters are absent.

The film remains entertaining, utilizing humor to balance such a serious topic without degrading the harsh realities of the family dynamic to overt comedy. Other moments captured the dirty aspects of life perfectly, revealing broken interactions that brought this adult daughter to tears. Although the film’s purpose is not to educate, Marcarelli and Diane Crespo (director) created a film that offers a truly realistic look into the home situation in hoarding disorder.

Have you seen the film? What were your thoughts?