In Run Rabbit Run, Joan is the mother of Sarah. Sarah tries to keep Joan away from her daughter, Mia, much to Mia’s dismay. Greta Scacchi plays Joan.
Sarah and Mia are still recovering from the loss of Sarah’s father. It is suggested that Sarah misses her father, and she was close to him. However, when it comes to her mother, Joan, she stays as far away from her as she can.
Joan currently spends her days at a facility for the elderly. At first, Sarah didn’t even know that her father has kept Joan at this facility. The facility often calls Sarah from time to time, but she refrains from picking up their call and connecting with them.
Sarah is willing to pay for her mother to be kept there, but she isn’t willing to meet her. Joan even writes a letter to Mia on Mia’s seventh birthday, but Sarah hides it away and burns it later after the birthday party.
Clearly, Sarah doesn’t want Joan in her life, but things take a drastic turn when suddenly Mia starts asking for Joan.
Joan recognizes Mia as Alice
After her seventh birthday, Mia shows a sudden change in her behavior. Things escalate when she identifies herself as Sarah’s sister, Alice, after seeing Sarah and Alice’s old photo. She also constantly longs for Joan.
Sarah eventually listens to Mia and decides to take her to her grandmother. Joan suffers from dementia and is going to need ongoing care. She often asks for Sarah in moments of lucidity.
When Joan first meets Mia, she recognizes her as Alice. She makes Sarah uncomfortable, who is then forced to take Mia away from her. The next time they meet Joan, she sees Mia as Sarah’s daughter, and Mia leaves the facility enraged and disappointed.
Sarah confesses to Joan
Joan still believes that Alice will return someday. She hopes to go back to her house when Sarah comes with the proposal to sell it. Joan likes to think that she should have never left Alice alone with Sarah and blames Sarah for Alice’s disappearance, which could be one of the reasons Sarah stays away from her.
After facing the wrath of Alice, Sarah visits Joan again to let her know that Alice isn’t missing; she is dead. Unfortunately, Sarah never gets the chance or musters the courage to tell her mother that she killed Alice.
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