Synopsis

THE GARDENER'S DAUGHTER is a darkly funny human story about The Whalens, an affluent family living in suburban New Jersey. Their cold, comfortable, perfunctory lives are gradually thrown into complete disarray when one day their gardener brings along his twenty-two year old daughter, Fania, for a week of gardening.

Fania unintentionally casts a spell over the Whalens, drawing their most primal instincts to the surface. For David, a teenager on the verge of manhood, she is "the older woman," a vision of first love for him to pursue. For Deb, the mother of the house, Fania is the catalyst for an unpredictable journey of personal discovery. And for Michael, the head of the family, Fania's presence leads to infatuation, obsession, and ultimately a total loss of control that threatens the very fabric of their lives.

The film's painful humor comes from its biting examination of contemporary suburban life and the extremes people can be driven to when their real passions are awakened.