The Mother Movie Review 2003

Reid gives a ferociously honest performance as the 60-ish May, a lifelong suburban wife and mother left bereft of purpose when her husband (Vaughn) suddenly dies. She moves to London to live temporarily with her preoccupied son Bobby (Mackintosh) and his indifferent wife Helen (Wilson Jones) and tries to straighten out the life of her self-pitying divorcee daughter, Paula (Bradshaw). Paula is involved in a messy relationship with rugged married builder, Darren (Craig). May finds herself attracted to the younger man's unexpected kindness and, unresigned to going quietly into old age, also begins an affair with the weak-willed Darren--the revelation of which causes no end of drama. The only false note comes in a late scene when May allows Paula to take her rage out on her mother by hitting her. The newly liberated May should have instead knocked her whiny child on her ass.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 111 minutes.
Originally from British.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Drama, May-December Romance, Sex & Sexuality, Great Britain, Romantic Triangles, Widows & Widowers, London, Moms, Single Parents, Grandparents

Screenplay

Hanif Kureishi

Cast

Anne Reid, Daniel Craig, Steven Mackintosh, Cathryn Bradshaw, Oliver Ford Davies, Peter Vaughn, Anna Wilson Jones

Cinematography

Alwin Kuchler

Director

Roger Michell

Music

Jeremy Sams

Other

Tim Alban, Danny Hambrook, Nicolas Gaster, Kim Gaster, Mark Digby, Natalie Ward, Mark Tildesley

Producer

Kevin Loader, BBC Films, Free Range Films, Renaissance Films, Sony Pictures Classics