Drowning

DROWNING follows Rose (Melora Walters) as she deals with the grief, anxiety, and depression brought on by her son's deployment to Irag. Rose's daughter is also away at college, which adds to her worry. In fact, Rose's life is so controlled by her anxiety and fears for her children's safety that when her boyfriend, Frank (Gil Bellows), wants to travel to another country, Rose refuses on the grounds that one of her kids might need her. Her job at a local bookstore does provide some solace as she's able to get support and have conversations with her friend, Mary (Mira Sorvino), and other coworkers without revealing too much of her fears. Rose is also afraid of the water and drowning but decides to confront those fears by learning how to swim. Her instructor Henry (Jay Mohr) is determined to teach her to swim but is also supportive and patient, making sure that she's comfortable and only moving as fast as she's ready for. Understanding that she's struggling to keep afloat in the deep end, Rose tries different support groups, with little success. Eventually, she decides that one-on-one therapy may be the best route to deal with her depression and anxiety. During a session, Rose's therapist asks her what will happen after her son comes home and her daughter graduates from college and they start their own families -- something she hasn't considered. Ultimately Rose must decide whether she'll learn how to move forward into unknown waters and create a life outside of her children or end up drowning in sadness, depression, anxiety, and grief.