Goodbye, June: Hereditary Star’s Rumored Regret Over Kate Winslet Film — What Really Happened

Here is a sentence I never expected to write: Toni Collette regrets not learning the flute for Kate Winslet's directing debut, and wound up playing an ocarina instead. Yes, the little Zelda-adjacent potato whistle. It is both funny and weirdly perfect for the movie they made.

The flute that got away

Talking to Collider, Collette said her character, Helen, was originally meant to play the flute in 'Goodbye June'. She did not prep early enough, and if you have ever touched a flute, you know why that matters. As she explains it, you cannot look at your hands to cheat, and just blowing into the thing does not guarantee a sound unless you hit the mouthpiece exactly right. It is more muscle memory and feel than most instruments, which is great if you have years... and not great if you do not.

So the production pivoted. Helen ditched the flute and picked up an ocarina. Collette took to it, learned a few songs, and then kept it. Her words:

'It became perfectly ridiculous.'

Apparently, that ocarina now sits in her bed. As an image, that is hard to beat, and in the film it turns into a small running gag that actually fits the character.

So what is 'Goodbye June'?

It is a Christmas-set family drama about four adult siblings who come home to care for their mother as her health declines. June, the matriarch, is played by Helen Mirren. The siblings are played by Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn, and Kate Winslet. Yes, this is confusing to read: Collette plays a character named Helen, while Helen Mirren plays June. Names, man.

The movie is about grief, old messes that will not stay buried, and the awkward, sometimes funny ways families hold it together when they have to say goodbye. Collette said the tone intentionally makes room for humor alongside the heavy stuff, and that checks out with the ocarina anecdote alone.

Winslet steps behind the camera

'Goodbye June' is Kate Winslet's first time directing. She did not just direct; she also stars in it and produced it. The script comes from her son, Joe Anders, who wrote it at 19 after losing his grandmother. That personal origin story is baked into the film: Winslet has said she wanted something up close and emotionally specific, focused on how people actually connect in small moments.

She tried to recast herself, for real

Winslet told Digital Spy she was not convinced she could juggle directing, producing, and acting. She even made a short list of other actors she thought would crush the role of Julia (her character). Her words:

'I know I'm good at multitasking, but this is too many things. I desperately tried to recast myself...'

Netflix said no. Then the ensemble came together, and at that point, there was no way she was sitting out. She stayed in, and the on-screen chemistry with Collette, Mirren, and the rest of the cast is a big part of the appeal.

Quick facts

• Cast: Toni Collette (Helen), Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn, Timothy Spall, Kate Winslet (Julia), Helen Mirren (June)
• Release: Limited theaters in the US and UK on December 12, 2025; streaming on Netflix starting December 24, 2025 (US)
• Ratings: IMDb 6.4/10; Rotten Tomatoes 66%

'Goodbye June' is streaming now on Netflix in the US. If you watch it, let me know: was the ocarina a charming touch or a delightful chaos gremlin sneaking into a grief drama?