In a poignant revelation, Joe Anders, the 22-year-old son of Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet, has shared the deeply personal family tragedy that inspired his mother's new Netflix film, Goodbye June. The emotional project, now available for streaming, marks Winslet's first foray into directing.
A Story Born from Personal Loss
The film's narrative, which centres on a dying mother and her fractured family during a Christmas palliative care period, was directly inspired by the death of Joe's grandmother – Winslet's mother – during his teenage years. Joe wrote the initial script as part of a screenwriting course, aiming to process the complex emotions his family experienced.
"I remember that feeling really hitting me," Joe recalled of the time spent with his grandmother in hospital. His ultimate goal was to craft an 'uplifting' film that captured those nuanced feelings. He described showing the script to his famous mother, telling Screen Daily, "I was just wanting to share it with you. The fact that it actually has been made is insane to me."
From Script to Screen: A Family Affair
Winslet, 50, was profoundly moved by her son's story. Initially planning only to act in and produce the film, she was so connected to the material that she decided to make it her directorial debut. The film boasts an all-star cast including Helen Mirren as June, Timothy Spall as Bernie, and Stephen Merchant as Jerry.
"It's not a cancer film," Winslet emphasised. "It's a film about something that's happening to an entire family." She described her directorial approach as creating an "open and supportive" environment where actors feel paramount. However, she admitted the personal nature of the story made directing illness scenes particularly emotional.
Budget Battles and Industry Sexism
The film's journey to the screen was not without its challenges. Winslet recently claimed that some crew members on Goodbye June were underpaid because she struggled to secure a sufficient budget. She attributed this difficulty to sexism within the film industry, stating that being a female director meant she had to "call in favours" as investors were hesitant.
Appearing on the Kermode & Mayo's Take podcast, Winslet explained, "When you're a woman, you do a huge amount of ringing around... sometimes with a budget like Goodbye June you might be asking people to come and work for less than their weekly rate." She expressed gratitude that department heads and their crews sometimes took a pay cut to support the project.
Winslet contrasted the experience with that of male actor-directors, noting there is an "automatic assumption" men will know what they're doing, while the same trust is not extended to women. Goodbye June, a story of family dynamics during a health crisis at Christmastime, is available to stream on Netflix now.
