What I liked about Lake Mungo was the way the film showed how abusive neglect is.
>!Alice's family is completely unaware of what their daughter is doing. Her entire short life passes by and they don't know her secrets or interests or anything about her. They realize this only once it's too late. In the penultimate scene when the therapist is leading Alice's mother on a guided meditation into the house (this scene being intercut with Alice being led by the therapist into her room mentally), it is possible that her mother can actually see her daughter. In their minds they might actually bridge time and be given the chance to say goodbye. (Similar to how the dead Alice bridges time). The therapist asks Alice's mother if she can see anything in Alice's room and she says "no." I think Alice's mother chooses not to acknowledge her daughter. Even in this final moment with her daughter she is afraid of relationship and vulnerability, choosing neglect over love. There is no way to prove this theory since we cannot see what is in their minds, but it's possible!<