Themes: Mothers and Daughters, Mothers and Sons, Golden Years
Main Cast: Anne Reid, Daniel Craig, Steven Mackintosh, Cathryn Bradshaw, Oliver Ford Davies, Anna Wilson-Jones, Peter Vaughan
Release Year: 2003
Country: UK
Run Time: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Hanif Kureishi wrote this drama about a woman whose late-blooming romance causes a serious rift with her family. May (Anne Reid) and Toots (Peter Vaughan) are an elderly couple who travel to London to visit their two grown children, Bobby (Steven Mackintosh) and Paula (Cathryn Bradshaw). While Bobby tries to be attentive to his parents, he's busy with his two young children, a major project at work, and completing some renovations on his large and expensive house, while his wife, Helen (Anna Wilson-Jones), shows little interest in her in-laws. Meanwhile, Paula is unsatisfied with her work and carries on an affair with Darren (Daniel Craig), a builder who is working on Bobby's home. When Toots suddenly dies, May moves in with Paula, but with Paula at work all day, she has little to do. Darren stops by Paula's flat periodically, and soon he strikes up a friendship with May; their conversations soon develop into flirtation, and before long, the two have become lovers, meeting regularly for afternoon trysts in Paula's spare room. While May's relationship with Darren makes her feel happier and more alive than she has in years, it leads to an ugly confrontation when Paula learns about the affair. The Mother was screened as part of the Director's Fortnight series at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Harry Michell - Harry; Rosie Michell - Rosie; Danira Govich - Au Pair; Isabella Telezynska; Carlo Kureishi - Jack; Sachin Kureishi - Jack; Zelda Tinska; Jonah Coombes - Estate Agent; Simon Mason - Man In Tate Gallery
Credit
Mark Digby - Art Director, Mary Selway - Casting, Fiona Weir - Casting, Natalie Ward - Costume Designer, Barrie McCulloch - First Assistant Director, Roger Michell - Director, Nicolas Gaster - Editor, David M. Thompson - Executive Producer, Stephen Evans - Executive Producer, Tracey Scoffield - Executive Producer, Angus Finney - Executive Producer, Jonah Coombes - Location Manager, Rosa Romero - Line Producer, Jeremy Sams - Composer (Music Score), Richard Paine - Musical Direction/Supervision, Konnie Daniel - Makeup, Luke Redgrave - Camera Operator, Mark Tildesley - Production Designer, Mark Digby - Production Designer, Alwin Küchler - Cinematographer, Kevin Loader - Producer, Danny Hambrook - Sound Recordist, Julika Kennaway - Unit Production Manager, Hanif Kureishi - Screenwriter, Jane Hawley - Executive in Charge of Production, Kim Gaster - Associate Editor, Ralph Salmins - Musical Performer, Simon Chamberlain - Musical Performer, Alec Dankworth - Musical Performer, Alistair Hopkins - Post Production Supervisor, Steffy Marrion - Production Coordinator, Tim Alban - Re-Recording Mixer, Olivia Peniston-Bird - Second Assistant Director, Danny Hambrook - Supervising Sound Editor, Graeme Stoten - ADR Editor, Michelle Woods - ADR Editor, Dennis Schnegg - Draftsman, Melissa Lake - Foley Artist, Paula Boran - Foley Artist, Gianluca Buttari - Foley Editor, Michelle Day - Set Decorator, Owen Bleasdale - Foley Recordist, Paul Mason - Third Assistant Director, Rob Ellis - Digital Effects Compositor
