Infinitely Polar Bear

Infinitely Polar Bear is a semi-autobiographical family drama written and directed by Maya Forbes. Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana play an interracial couple with two young girls living in the 1970s who navigate class structure, first-wave feminism, and, most significantly, bi-polar disorder. Ruffalo’s Cam is an out-of-control manic depressive, while Saldana’s Maggie is an heroically even-keeled mother. After Cam barely recovers from a breakdown, Maggie realizes that the only way to take care of her daughters is to pursue a high-powered career track, which means leaving them with their erratic father. Thus the two girls, played wonderfully by Imogene Wolodarsky (Forbes's 12-year-old daughter) and Ashley Aufderheide, must muddle their way through childhood with a dad who is sometimes incredibly fun, but more often an embarrassing, needy, mess.

Though mostly told from the 12-year-old daughter’s perspective, Infinitely Polar Bear is a showcase for Ruffalo, who plays a bi-polar Mr. Mom doing his best to care for his rebellious children and win back his wife. Saldana shines as a woman trying to do right by everyone in the family, including herself. Both roles are difficult to put across convincingly but the actors ground their characters with carefully measured performances. As the feisty daughters, Wolodarsky and Aufderheide never devolve into the cloying, manipulative kids we often see in cinematic depictions of parental mental illness. Each girl is funny and challenging, and the dynamic between them and the adult actors is impressive. Forbes’ first feature film resonates by providing audiences a window into an unusual but loving marriage and an even more intriguingly bizarre childhood.