When we think about butterflies, we think about green grass and growing flowers throughout a vast landscape. Perhaps that’s the reason why butterflies take flight during the early months of May, when the weather is just right to go outside and families run around the picket fences during cookouts together. Butterflies are notoriously known for their bright, evocative colors which helps them from being spotted from miles away to passing by individuals. They’re quiet creatures, who barely make any noise amongst others. However, the symbol of a butterfly in Todd Haynes’s May December, unveils the thin fragmented layers beyond the butterfly wings to unveil a level of sadness and delayed growth, all due in part to Charles Melton’s performance as Joe Yoo. 

It’s one thing to remain in the background of a story like May December, and it’s clear that Joe wants to move on with his life amidst the controversy that surrounds himself and Gracie everywhere they go. Whether it’s feces being delivered at their lakeside house, or the quiet unspoken stares that the Yoo-Alderton children give one another when Gracie is around, Joe can never quite disappear from the audience’s peripheral view. Melton holds himself strong as Joe begins to realize the truth about his situation, and the loss of his youth that follows him like a ghost throughout adulthood. 

In a scene where Joe sits on the roof with his son, Joe confronts his growing adulthood while also looking forward to his son’s future. Everything that Joe could have been is sitting across from him on a roof, and Melton shows us Joe’s grieving of adolescence within just a few lines. Melton’s restrained, heart-wrenching lines about bonding and growth put us at the forefront of May December, and all we can do is hopelessly want to reach out to Joe. 

The line “I can’t tell if we’re connecting or if I’m creating a bad memory for you,” not only reflects Joe coming to terms with his stolen childhood but also a reflection of his upbringing. We see Joe struggle to talk to his own father about two of his children graduating, and how desperately he wants to connect with other adults in his life. We are easily able to empathize with Joe as a character, but also because Melton is able to convey the anger and heartbreak that Joe has towards his father in just a few lines of dialogue. If there’s one thing that Joe can take control of in his life, it’s butterflies. No one quite understands why Joe is enamored and determined to keep the cocoons safe and protected, but it’s a thing to be admired once the butterflies are born and grown into this world. It’s Joe’s way of taking back his youth and breathing fresh life into the Yoo-Alderton home. It’s a performance that also brings fresh air into the Best Supporting Actor category, and I for one can not wait to see what Melton does with his career after May December.

May December is currently streaming on Netflix and in select theaters.
You can find our review of May December here.