MY MOTHER FRANK
Australia, 1999, 92 minutes, Colour.
Sinead Cusack, Sam Neill, Matthew Newton, Rose Byrne, Sascha Horler, Celia Ireland, Lynette Curran, Melissa Jaffer, Joan Lord.
Directed by Mark Lamprell.
My Mother Frank is an interesting and entertaining drama about family, women, study, illness.
Sinead Cusack gives a strong and determined performance as a widow with a nineteen-year-old son. She experiences memory lapses and eventually discovers she is in the initial stages of Alzheimer's. She clashes with her son, with her friends? She decides to go back to the university, which annoys her son. She befriends a fellow student who is the target of sarcasm by the lecturer tutor, played rather acerbically by Sam Neill. There follows a crisis in terms of honesty about essays and timing, with the professor laying down the law and the students eventually fighting back.
The cast is strong, with a number of character actors giving excellent cameos including Sascha Horler as Frank's rather prim and society-conscious daughter, Lynette Curran as her best friend, caught up in a world of dressmaking, Melissa Jaffer and Joan Lord as two very Australian nuns, one with the emphasis on sacrifice in expressing things negatively and spiritually and the other a great support. In fact, the film is interesting with its very Catholic tone, portraits of saints, mass-going, the role of the nuns, praying the Rosary for success in exams_
The film is both serious and comic, has strong characterisations, raises many interesting themes.
1. A strong character study, interesting situations, the different generations, a portrait of family, women's issues, the role of study?
2. The Sydney settings, the inner city, homes, the university, churches and hospitals, the contrast with the countryside? Musical score, the range of songs, the final song: "True Colours"?
3. The title, the focus on Frank and/or the focus on David?
4. The theme of family: the dead father who is loved and Frank wishes she could see him for another five minutes? His absence, the memories, the paddock with the daffodils and "I love you"? Frank and a widow's choices, her relationship with her son and daughter, tough? Her religion, its support, its irritating her? Her relationship with friends? Her attitude towards David, his age, dreams, exasperation, choices? Her daughter and her choices? The relationship with the grandchildren? Ageing, illness? Different possibilities, the former Frank having left and a new woman arrived?
5. Women's issues, women and their place in the family, expectations that they should stay home, the woman as mother, wife? Occupations, the expectations about dressmaking and fashions and other activities? Shops? Socialising, socialites? Women at the university, middle-aged women and their being insulted because of taking up places that younger students might have, the pressure on them? Illness, age, developing their minds, being themselves?
6. The issues of study, university, the professor and his reprimanding the women that they were occupying places of younger students, the role of older students, their maturity, experience, learning, keeping active? Lectures and tutorials? Their being humiliated? Achievement?
7. The portrait of Frank, her age, experience, widow, mother, getting David up, David at home, Margaret and her visits? Her keeping the tinned food and its exploding? Going out to socials and experiencing the snobs? Her friendship with Jean? Her friendship with the nuns, their visits, their talking about little crosses to be borne? The picture of St Therese and putting her in the cupboard when she was exasperated? Going to mass? Her being forgetful? Her anger at the suggestion about going to adult education? Her decision to go the university, David's anger, her meeting him on the campus (and other times bringing his lunch)? The tutorial and Mortlock and his targeting her, questioning her? Her relationship with Peggy? With the other students - telling them to talk to her hand because she was forbidden to talk? Writing essays, Sister Bernadette and her helping her? Sister Sebastian and the pressure on making the dresses for the fashion show? Forgetting to hand in Peggy's essay, admitting it, Peggy being nice about it, Frank giving hers to be handed in? Mortlock and his attack, their expulsion? Her fall in the house, hospital, the x-rays, the Alzheimer's, her wanting it kept secret? David finding the x-rays and reprimanding her? At home, Margaret saying she didn't understand her, the shooting, shooting the cans? Her relationship with her grandchildren, spoiling them, caught by Margaret? Sister Sebastian with the news about Sister Bernadette's eyes, the operation, Frank being with her, Sister Bernadette saying she had the courage for the operation because of Frank's courage in changing her life? Margaret urging her not to go to the tribunal? Her going to Mortlock, the truth, handcuffing herself to the chair? His change of heart, the decision, his coming to the shop to tell her, sitting the exam? Her going with David, talking about her pride in him? The final party, success, her saying she was waiting for a miracle and Richard waiting with her? A rounded portrait of a middle-aged woman?
8. David, his erotic dreams, waking up, his exasperation, Frank snooping in his room, magazines etc? His studying at university, friendship with Peggy, his mother bringing his lunch, his friendship with Mick, his friendship with Jenny, her place in his dreams, his infatuation, love? The surfing holiday? Moving out of home, discovering Mick and his infidelity to Jenny? Taking Jenny to see the daffodils, her negative reaction? His finding out about his mother's illness, the shooting of the tins, his wanting to help her in her illness, helping with the revision, at the party, Jenny and her waking him up - and her sign with the flowers, "Me Too"?
9. Jenny, in herself, her relationship with Mick, studies, at the bar, dancing with David? Talking with Frank in the lift? The impact of the trip to the daffodils? Her negative attitude, fidelity to Mick? Her dreams about David? The final flowers of reconciliation?
10. The contrast with Margaret, her children, fashionable clothes, the auction? Her attitude towards the shop, not wanting embarrassment about the tribunal and articles in the papers? Her reaction to the gun and the tinned food? With Jean at the end and spitting out the tinned food?
11. Jean, friendship with Frank, the shop, the dressmaking, the pressure from the nuns, the fashion show?
12. The portrait of the nuns, very Australian in their attitudes, their spirituality, Sister Bernadette and her eyes, her helping Frank? Sister Sebastian, bossiness, getting her own way, her ascetical spirituality, not expecting too much, age, suffering? The fashion show and saying that nuns were never sued for copyright? Sister Bernadette, the operation, her acknowledgment of Frank's help? The final revision and their all helping?
13. Professor Mortlock, his lectures, tutorials, his sarcasm, targeting Peggy, targeting Frank, laying down the law, the cheating, merciless? Frank's appeal, his applauding her, her handcuffs? His wanting the truth, hearing about the Alzheimer's? Agreeing to the appeal, getting the news, coming to tell her at the shop, joining her in waiting for a miracle?
14. Peggy, middle-aged student, not doing well, essays in late, not grasping issues, her comment to David that she had a life? Friendship with Frank, sharing, giving her the essay, her failure, out from the university, seeing the bright side of things? Getting back in again?
15. The glimpses of the students, Mick, man about the university, successful at everything, relationship with Jenny, betraying her? The clash with David, David telling him the truth about his feelings for Jenny?
16. The Catholic themes and images: the picture of St Therese, and Frank attacking her and putting her in the cupboard? David getting her out again? Going to mass, communion, Jean and Frank, David and his deciding not to go to mass? The sisters, the nun-line talk, crosses to bear? Sister Sebastian and her ability to be negative about people, blaming them? The Rosary, Sister Bernadette and her operation, recovery, admiration for Frank? Praying for Frank's success in the exams, the sisters, Margaret saying her Rosary?
17. An entertaining piece of Australiana, portrait of people, everyday lives, facing challenges?
