MOTHER’S DAY

US, 2010, 112 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca de Mornay, Jaime King, Shawn Ashmore, Patrick Flueger.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.

Mother’s Day is a remake of a small-budget, terror film of 1980. Troma Studios made quite a number of films for a niche audience who enjoyed this kind of Grindhouse entertainment. However, Troma became slightly more respectable as the years went on and this remake, grungy and violent as it is, was a step up in their move to respectability.

The basic plot is of a siege in a house. A group of friends are celebrating in a new house and it is broken into by an unruly group of brothers, one of whom is injured. They are expecting to find their mother but she has not told them that the house has been sold. The brothers have robbed a bank and need a place to stay before they move on. Mother knows that there is money that the brothers have sent hidden in the house.
Rebecca de Mornay relishes the role of mother, charming in her manner, relentless in her dealing with people, rebuking her sons – whom, we realise, she has abducted from hospitals when they were babies.

The group has to endure taunts and torture by the group, and their gradually being killed. Beth, the owner of the house, is taken by one of the brothers to an ATM to get out of money for them. But there is a twist as Beth and her husband are not as honest as they initially seem.

The film was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman who directed some of the Saw franchise.

1. A 21st century slasher film, terror film? The credibility of the characters, the plot? Or not?

2. A remake of the 1980s small-budget terror film? Moving into the mainstream? The niche audience for this kind of film?

3. The opening in the hospital, the babies, the snatching and walking away? The explanation at the end?

4. The party in the house, the hosts, acquiring the house, the banks, the guests, an ordinary enough party?

5. The intrusion, the brothers, the wounded men, the killer, Ike being in charge, expectations about the house, the surprise at the new owners, their reaction? Their plan?

6. The scenes of terrorising the guests, the brutal characters, the guests’ reactions, the attempts to escape, Addley and his brutality, Ike seeming more
ordinary? Developing the plan?

7. Mother, her character, Rebecca de Mornay’s screen presence? The boys, Lydia? Their upbringing? Her hard life, imposing on them, rules and rebukes? Yet her demure manner, emphasis on etiquette? Yet deadly moments? Her control?

8. George, as a doctor, his help, kindness, the threats, the girl and her being shot, Lydia, the truth, the van, death?

9. Daniel and Beth, the cash, the denial, the search of the house, the threats, the ATM and Beth, the safe, back in the house, Beth and her telling lies? Daniel and his affair?

10. The background of Daniel and Beth’s boy, his death, grief, the house, the affair and the cash, Beth’s plans, being tortured, the phone call?

11. The black couple, tough, the instruments, her escape, Daniel and his return, the tortured man deaf, death?

12. The man with the toupee, his fear, fright, the taunts, being shot? The fiancee and her tough stance, sex and the boy before his death?

13. Julia, her affair, her hair being burnt, the escape?

14. The police, the visit, Daniel and the lies, later, Beth and the shooting, not being run over? Ike and the shooting?

15. Ike, the robbery, the rules, his mother and her criticism, control? Beth and the threats, the chase, the crash? Deaths?

16. Mother, the cake and tea? The bun? Ruthless, relentless? Fighting Beth?

17. Beth, her baby, Mother stealing it? The cycle beginning again? The effect of this kind of slasher/terror film?