Tamal Kundu
A film is often as strong as its supporting characters, and this holds quite accurate with the sci-fi romance drama film ‘Swan Song.’ The film has a stellar cast, including the two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as the protagonist Cameron Turner, but Nyasha Hatendi and Awkwafina manage to leave their marks on the audience’s mind with their outing as relatively minor characters. Hatendi plays Andre, while Awkwafina portrays Kate and Kate’s duplicate. Despite their limited screen time, these characters are incredibly important to the film’s narrative. Here is what you need to know about them. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who Is Andre in Swan Song?
Andre is Poppy’s (Naomie Harris) twin brother. As he passed away before the events depicted in the film, all his scenes are flashbacks from either Cameron or Cameron’s duplicate Jack’s perspective. Andre and Poppy were quite close. They had similar personalities, and Cameron and Andre became quite close. He died when his motorcycle went off-road in the mountains, and he got stuck in one of the upper branches of a pine tree. As Jack reveals, Cameron still has recurring nightmares in which he sees Andre stuck in a pine branch. However, he has never spoken about it to Poppy or consulted any therapist.
Poppy’s grief regarding the tragedy was much more expressive. She descended into a severe bout of depression and began staying in a separate room, which made Cameron feel alienated. Ultimately, she opted for therapy, and things improved. When the film opens, it is revealed that Poppy is pregnant with their second child. When the real Cameron visits his old home to say his goodbyes, he and Poppy agree that the child’s name should be Andre.
Who Is Kate in Swan Song?
Kate was the client of Dr. Scott’s (Glenn Close) facility before Cameron. The latter first meets her duplicate. After he decides to go back to the facility, Dr. Scott takes him to a realtor’s office, where the duplicate now works. As her memory has been wiped clean, the duplicate has no idea that she is a clone and ardently believes she is the real Kate. None of her family members know it either, including Kate’s daughter and mother. This is the very essence of what the facility offers. The family members have no idea that their loved one has been replaced with a duplicate. So, they will not have to endure the pain and suffering of watching their relative die.
After Cameron meets Kate, a friendship quickly forms, driven mainly by their unique but similar circumstances. Like Cameron, Kate is also suffering from a terminal disease and had the same oncologist as him. Their interactions provide a context to the narrative, as Kate has probably gone through dealing with her duplicate. With each other’s help, they deal with loss as well as envy stemming from realizing that their healthy lookalikes are occupying their old space. Cameron’s humor becomes almost as cynical and bleak as Kate’s in time.
Does Kate Live or Die in Swan Song?
Kate dies in ‘Swan Song.’ Cameron is with her in those last moments and even jokingly wishes her to live long. As they both break out laughing, the curtain is drawn on their brief but poignant friendship. After her death, her body is cremated, and ashes are scattered in the river. Later, after Jack has permanently replaced him in the lives of Poppy and Cory, Cameron presumably meets the next client of Dr. Scott. It’s possible that they will have a similar relationship to the one Cameron shared with Kate.
Read More: Does Cameron Die in Swan Song?
