In His Three Daughters, Vincent's failing health reunites his three daughters, Katie, Christina, and Rachel, in a New York apartment in order to both, face the loss of their father and yet their complicated pasts with him. Each of them reveal their unique relationship with Vincent, molded by the shared past and distinct personal journeys.
In His Three Daughters, the eldest daughter Katie felt that her sister Rachel, who Vincent had adopted after his second marriage, overshadowed her. The middle daughter Christina, draws a dichotomy in being torn between her sisters, and is often caught in her attempts to bring the two together, while reflecting on her own relation to her father.
Although they are characterized by differences between each daughter, at this point, they face the reality of loss concerning their father when they lay down their shared grief on the table. So, at the heart of it all, there is a revealing insight in the light of loss.
His Three Daughters: Katie, Christina, and Rachel's relationships with Vincent
1) Katie: The eldest daughter who has issues getting recognized
Katie is the elder sister, played by Carrie Coon. She comes from the same mother as Christina. She feels that she has to take on more pressure because of being the eldest and thus, typically, has to take on all the responsibilities of the family.
But, her responsibility often turns into control, as seen in His Three Daughters. The tension between Katie and Vincent increases when she thinks Rachel is the favored child. Being a good daughter was not enough; and Katie often felt neglected by her dad, which deepened her insecurity.
Yet, she continues to be ignored and talked back at by her teenage daughter. It seems to affect her badly despite her sisters' efforts to help her understand that it is just a phase and not an indirect repetition of what happened to her while growing up.
In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Coon revealed to the audience that:
“Katie’s need for recognition from her father drives much of her conflict. She’s constantly trying to prove her worth, but she feels overshadowed by Rachel.”
That tension defines Katie's character arc: she wrestles with feelings that weren't reconciled. She thinks she just wasn't good enough for her father's love.
2) Christina: The middle daughter and mediator
Elizabeth Olsen brings the middle daughter, Christina, to life with a collected portrayal of a woman caught between her sisters' conflicts, and the ones in her family with her husband and a two-year-old daughter named Mirabella.
Christina shares the same mother as Katie, but is more laid back. She often mediates the sibling rivalry. The movie spends much time reflecting on her shared past with Vincent, especially after the death of their mother.
There is nostalgia and a quiet longing in Christina's relationship with her father on His Three Daughters regarding the family they once were.
“Christina tries to hold the family together, but she’s also deeply aware of the fractures,” Olsen shared in an interview with Screen Rant.
We watch how Christina's relationship with Vincent flowers with passion due to her efforts to deal with the aftermath of his illness as well as their mother's.
3) Rachel: The adopted daughter with emotional struggles
Natasha Lyonne plays Rachel, Vincent's daughter from his second marriage. She was adopted by Vincent as his own. The relationship between Rachel and Vincent is probably the most complicated of all sisters in His Three Daughters.
Rachel is perceived by her step-sister, Katie, as an outsider who has stolen her father's time. To her credit, Rachel never fails to be a good friend to Vincent, having shared experiences with him for all the suffering he's witnessed in His Three Daughters.
She cuts him apples and stocks them up, but this is perceived as carelessness by Katie, who already has a bad picture of Rachel in her mind due to their shared childhood. However, she also has emotional issues and engages in substance abuse to take her mind off the pain and loneliness.
Lyonne, in a candid interview with Netflix Tudum, explained her character:
“Rachel’s stoner persona hides a lot of pain. She’s someone who’s been trying to deal with her grief for years, but the impending loss of her father brings everything to the surface.”
Through Rachel, the movie shows how this scenario is set in a family conflict of acceptance and affection, as even her boyfriend is seen as an 'outsider', and that affects her greatly throughout the film.
What is the plot of His Three Daughters about?
At the core of His Three Daughters is a narrative of grief and pre-mourning, something many viewers are familiar with and will connect to. In this case, it's in the form of a terminal illness, placed upon a loved one, and unsolved grief from past losses.
In this sense, His Three Daughters unmolds how this relationship between each daughter and Vincent mirrors their more general struggles with identity, love, and acceptance.
The sisters are confronted not only with the impending death of their father, but also with insecurities and resentments that they have built-up inside themselves for years.
These family tensions are used by His Three Daughters' director Azazel Jacobs to generate a story about reconciliation rather than about loss, because they come to understand the nature of his death.
They are made to revisit the relationships they had with each other and with him. What binds them at the end of His Three Daughters together through loss is the complexity involved with family ties.
Well, that, and their dad Vincent's wishes to always keep them together and let them know how much he loved them all indiscriminately, even in death. If you know, you know!
His Three Daughters is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
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