- For the 2018 film adaptation, see Where'd You Go, Bernadette (film).
Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a 2012 comedy novel written by Maria Semple. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named Bernadette Fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica. It is narrated by her 15-year-old daughter Bee Branch. It is told in a series of documents (emails, memos, transcripts, etc.) with the occasional interlude by Bee.
Video Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Synopsis
After her mother's disappearance, 15-year-old Bee Branch gathers correspondence relating to her mother in order to ascertain what has happened to her. Bee traces the incident back to her perfect report card. Earlier, Bee's parents had told her she could have anything she wanted if she got a perfect report card for all her years in this school. Because of this previous promise, Bee convinces her parents, stay at home mother Bernadette, and father Elgin, a genius who works at Microsoft, to take her to Antarctica. Though Bernadette is mostly housebound she delegates the task of making their arrangements to a personal assistant in India, Manjula.
Because she is housebound, Bernadette has an ongoing feud with some of the mothers at Bee's private school with the main instigator being her neighbor Audrey Griffin. Audrey accuses Bernadette of running over her foot with her car (which Bernadette does not dispute, though it is untrue).
Bee also learns that her mother was once a famous architect, winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant because of her creation of the 20 Mile house, so called because it was made from material sourced from within 20 miles of the home. After she won the grant, Bernadette sold the house, only to belatedly realize it had been sold to a hostile neighbour who demolished the home as soon as he obtained it. After the defeat Bernadette moved to Seattle where she had four miscarriages before Bee.
A friend of Audrey's, Soo-Lin Lee-Segal, an admin at Microsoft, goes to work for Elgin Branch. She reveals to him Bernadette's "attacks" on Audrey, causing him to question whether to admit Bernadette to a psychiatric institution. As Soo-Lin and Elgin begin an emotional affair, the FBI also contact Elgin to reveal "Manjula" is actually a Russian money scamming ring who plan to defraud Elgin and Bernadette. Elgin arranges for an intervention with Bernadette at the dentist to reveal these facts to her, but because of a mistake the (unsuccessful) intervention happens at their home with the FBI and police involved. In the middle of the intervention Bernadette goes to the washroom and disappears.
In the aftermath of Bernadette's disappearance Bee is sent to Choate early and Soo-Lin reveals to Audrey that she is pregnant with Elgin's child and he has bought them a family home. Elgin and Soo-Lin learn that Bernadette did take the trip to Antarctica herself and go there to confront her only to have her disappear again. During this time Soo-Lin also reveals to Audrey that her life is miserable and that the pregnancy is a result of a drunken one night stand between her and Elgin, who completely regrets the incident.
At Choate, Bee receives a package that contains the bulk of the correspondence used in the novel up to that point. It is revealed that after discovering that the accusations she levelled against Bernadette were going to result in her being hospitalized, Audrey helped her escape from her house, showed her all the correspondence between Soo-Lin and her husband, stayed silent when Bernadette decided to go to Antarctica in the hopes that she would be able to speak privately to Elgin and Bee there, and sent the package containing all the correspondence to Bee, in the hopes that Bee would understand what happened with Bernadette.
Bee is kicked out of Choate, in part because of the manuscript she is putting together. She guilts her father into going on the trip to Antarctica with her in the name of closure though she secretly believes her mother is still alive and hiding there. After nearly giving up hope Bee learns of Palmer Station, an American base where scientists work and research. Stealing a boat with her father, Bee goes to the station where she in fact finds Bernadette who is surprised to find that her family thought she was dead as she sent Bee a letter.
Bee finds the missing letter when she returns to her old school. The letter reveals that Bernadette went to Antarctica in the hopes of reconciling with her husband and daughter and decided to stay for the cruise. While there she met a scientist who told her about Palmer Station and an architectural project for the south pole in which every single material would have to be shipped from the U.S. which meant that it was of the utmost importance for everything to be designed to complete perfection. Bernadette snuck on board Palmer Station hoping to work on the project and sent the letter to Bee asking for her blessing and telling her she would return home if she did not get it within a set period of time.
Maps Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Awards
- A year on the New York Times Bestseller List
- 72 weeks on NPR Paperback Fiction Bestseller List
- 12 weeks on NPR Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List
- Shortlisted for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction
- Alex Award 2013 (American Library Association)
Film adaptation
Annapurna Pictures and Color Force acquired the rights to the film adaptation of the novel in January 2013, with Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber writing the screenplay, Semple, Bryan Unkeless, and Ted Schipper executive producing. Richard Linklater will direct the film. In November 2015, it was announced Cate Blanchett was in talks to join the film. It was later revealed that Holly Gent and Vince Palmo have taken over writing duties on the film.
Kristen Wiig, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, Troian Bellisario and Judy Greer have also joined the cast of the film. Production began in July 2017.
References
External links
- Review of Where'd You Go Bernadette Janet Maslin, New York Times, August 6, 2012.
- "Annapurna & Color Force Pick Up Film Rights To 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette'". deadline.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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