Giving Birth to a Butterfly

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Giving Birth to a Butterfly

Released May 1, 2023

1h 16m

Drama

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

After having her identity stolen online, Diana Dent leaves her family and goes on a road trip with her son's pregnant girlfriend to track down the perpetrators. The mismatched travel companions form an unexpected bond as they concede to the hardships of their own lives, and their hunt for answers becomes a surreal journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

It's not the high strangeness of David Lynch (although dream logic and symbolism starts to play a role) but a more suburban and restrained surrealism, built around themes of duality and birth.

Jul 21, 2023

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

It isn’t for all tastes, but the bizarre goings-on do come together in a striking way. Schaefer’s a talent on the rise.

Rated: 3/4

May 31, 2023

Full Review

Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Even for a movie meant to be offbeat, the rhythm is jarringly askew.

May 18, 2023

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Cody Allen

Geek Vibes Nation

Despite some symbolism that feels a bit too on-the-nose, Giving Birth to a Butterfly is a movie that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful.

Rated: 6.5

Jul 29, 2025

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Sarah Vincent

Cambridge Day

Schaefer’s exploration of the two-sided theme of the banal, meager wage-earning life and perpetuation of traditional Greek culture is evocative, but never conveys a cohesive vision

Rated: 2/4

Aug 16, 2023

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Aundria Parker

Daily Grindhouse

On the surface, it is a film about stolen identities and navigating the curveballs that life throws at you. When the surface quickly wears off, it leaves a pastel-smeared reflection on wasted life, poor choices, and the false security of a new start.

Jul 21, 2023

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Jonathan K

Ultimately very weird, although the first half is not at all. It's quite mundane (which is probably the idea) until it enters bizarro-land. From a cinematography point of view, it tries some really cool things with long shots and a moving camera. As for the story itself, I can definitely come up with meaning and interpretation to the surreal and strange place that the "narrative" d/evolves into, and it's actually one of those rare times where I feel like I'm able to make a coherent interpretation from something so indirect. But in reality, there is little to nothing certain to actually go on, as we are all but abandoned by the storytellers.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/12/24

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Brad P

Giving Birth to a Butterfly dovetails between the mundane and the profound, the way poems often do.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

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Theodore Schaefer

Director

Annie Parisse

Actor

Gus Birney

Actor

Constance Shulman

Actor

Paul Sparks

Actor

Patrick Lawler

Screenwriter

Giving Birth to a Butterfly: Movie Clip -No I Think It Came That Way

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Giving Birth to a Butterfly: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

After having her identity stolen online, Diana Dent leaves her family and goes on a road trip with her son's pregnant girlfriend to track down the perpetrators. The mismatched travel companions form an unexpected bond as they concede to the hardships of their own lives, and their hunt for answers becomes a surreal journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Director: Theodore Schaefer
Producer: Daryl Freimark, Theodore Schaefer
Screenwriter: Patrick Lawler, Theodore Schaefer
Distributor: Cinedigm
Production Co: Dweck Productions, Hardball Entertainment
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 1, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2023
Runtime: 1h 16m

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