Mother and Child

Last night I managed to see 'Mother and Child' at the movies. It was one of those limited-release movies and we saw it at Palace cinemas, which is similar to the Dendy but slightly more expensive. One good thing about most limited-release movies are they are not your typical Hollywood trash.

And this was no exception.

'Mother and Child' revolves around the lives of 3 women. Karen (Annette Bening) is a 50 year old woman who gave up a daughter for adoption about 35 years ago. She lives each day in regret and wondering where her daughter is. Her daughter, named Elizabeth now (Naomi Watts) is an independent and successful attorney who values being self-sufficient. She is bitter about being given up for adoption. Lucy (Kerry Washington) is a young wife unable to have children of her own and therefore wanting to adopt. The movie looks at their trials and tribulations individually as eventually their paths cross in a serendipitous manner.

My verdict: BRILLIANT!

Where do I even start? The characters are beautifully created and you can feel the pain, the sadness and the angst of each and every one of them. The actors do a lot of justice to the characters. Samuel L Jackson as Elizabeth's boss and Jimmy Smits as Karen's partner, do a fantastic job as well. They are portrayed as kind, selfless men. Elizabeth is more like her mother than she would ever guess. Distant. Difficulty with relationships. Problems with trust. It makes you think about the nature v/s nurture debate --- a person who has not been brought up by their biological parent still ends up being quite similar to them. What does that say for biology? How do the three women get through their individual turmoils? Does Lucy get to adopt a child? Can Elizabeth ever have a stable relationship when stability is not part of her life? Can she forgive her mother for giving her up? And can Karen forgive herself for giving up her own daughter?

The movie has several underlying themes apart from mothers and their children. And each one is as poignant as the next. A very powerful movie and highly recommended!

Until next time,

Cheers!!!