MOTHERHOOD
US, 2009, 89 minutes, Colour.
Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards, Minnie Driver.
Directed by Katherine Dreickmann.
Two decades earlier there was the comic Parenthood which ranged over quite a number of parents and children (and then produced a television series). Robin Williams and Billy Crystal appeared in Father's Day. Now we have Uma Thurman in Motherhood.
Well, it's just one mother's story with a few asides from other mothers (and a glimpse of Jodie Foster walking with her family in the park). The park is in New York and, maybe that is the trouble for non-New Yorkers watching the film. The logo says 'I Love New York' but Motherhood offers any number of characters and situations which might have us saying 'I hate New York'.
The day (and the film takes place over just one day) begins at 6.20 and Eliza (Uma Thurman) wearlily gets out of bed to confront a long list of must do's. She has an eccentrically absent-minded husband (Anthony Edwards) and two young children, the older on her last day of being 5, with the prospect of her birthday party in the evening. So far, so ordinary.
Eliza is a would-be writer and blogs, especially about motherhood. She comes across a competition, a 500 word piece on motherhood, which she decides to enter but can't find the time to concentrate. We are treated to breakfast hassles, lunches, getting to school, forgetting the dog, walking the dog, going to the park, shopping (once for fun and tension relief, once for groceries, presents and birthday cake). But, it is the stress which is to the fore.
The film could have been called Stresshood.
There is the scurry to move a car and get it back to the parking spot, paying for an occupier to move, finding a film crew has moved in and towed all the cars. There is the pressure of traffic jams, not poop-scooping, smoking in front of censorious passers-by, bicycle punctures. Customers in queues are raging (especially about cell phone conversation intrusion into personal space – well that is not such a bad topic!!) and cannot tolerate line-jumpers. And so on, an so on... ('I love Manhattan, how about you...?).
Minnie Driver has some moments as Eliza's pregnant friend who is upset at being quoted in Eliza's piece. Eliza is upset about her husband's critique of her work. There is momentary relief when a letter delivery is made by an Indian messenger who writes plays and pays attention to her. The nice moments are when Eliza is kind to the lonely old lady next door.
If that sounds like your day, you may not want to empathise with Eliza and indulge in self-pity or you may get some grim satisfaction at finding some of your day mirrored on screen.
1.A film of parenting, mothers, fathers, children?
2.A New York story, the apartment block, the street and the parking, the school, shops, traffic, movie-making? Musical score?
3.Realism? But how realistic in fact? The contrivances of performances, situations? Performances stagey rather than realistic?
4.New York stress, a stress story, the pressures of living in the city, people, pace, the importance of time, remembering lists, lifestyle?
5.The structure of one day in the family life? Familiar situations, crises, confrontations and resolutions? How credible?
6.The introduction to Eliza and Avery, 6.20, asleep, waking, taking Clara’s photo, preparing breakfast? Avery reading, the kids and the tantrum about the banana, the fast-forward style and the husband and wife talking? The next-door-neighbour, old and reclusive, juice? The many steps, the car, the boxes of books and Avery’s interest?
7.Clara, talking about her party to the French girl, the Frenchwoman and her comments about difficulties in motherhood? Eliza still in her nightdress? Her voice-over?
8.Eliza as a writer, the past, her blog, people’s reactions to her comments about motherhood? Her hopes, taking moments to write? Discovering the competition? Observing women, listening to them, incorporating their points of view? At school, watching their children?
9.Ugly New York, walking the dog, its doing its business and leaving it, having to move the cars from the parking spots, the man complaining, threatening to call the authorities, the campaigning woman and her insults? The seatbelt for Lucas? Eliza smoking? The traffic, her insulting the builder, getting out of the car, their discussion? The film-makers and their notice, towing the car? Her bike getting a puncture? The queue in the supermarket, the woman in a hurry, people not letting her through, frustration? Eliza talking into her phone, the young man and his comments about the invasion of personal space? Courtesy? The wrong spelling on the birthday cake?
10.Ringing Avery, his always having his phone off? His job, absentmindedness, eccentricities and Eliza’s initial love of these?
11.Playing in the park, the mothers and their wanting to see celebrities, Jodie Foster in the park? Shopping, the bike ride, receiving the letter? The young man, inviting him up, his being a writer, the discussions, her giving the next-door-neighbour her juice, his being impressed by her kindness, helping her decorate the room, blow up the balloons, their talking about her career, turning on the music, the exuberant dance? Eliza and her feeling that he had a personal regard for her?
12.Avery and his reading her text, her anger at his comments, anger and leaving, driving to New Jersey, the phone call, Lucas choking, her return? Sheila and her anger at being included in the article, shouting into the phone, from the street?
13.The talk with Avery in the car, expressing her hopes, her whingeing, the comment about his socks? His reaction, their love for each other? His wanting her to achieve? His explaining about his job, frustrations and hopes? Was the heart-to-heart enough to achieve this reconciliation?
14.The party, the cake, singing, dancing, writing on the steps, the reconciliation with Sheila?
15.The rain, watching the people making the film, a family at the end of the day loving and peaceful?
