Screen Two (TV Series) Mothertime (1997) User Reviews

Not a masterpiece, but worth watching

[bellaquinn · 8/10 · 30 April 2006]

This film is worth a look if only for the pleasure of watching Gina McKee's performance. She manages to make her character frightening, funny, pathetic, beautiful and heartbreakingly human all at once. Her character, Caroline, is interesting and more complex than first impressions might lead us to believe. She appears to be a monster mother, roaring drunk and slapping the kids around on Christmas Eve. The children just want a nice, quiet holiday and ,when she finally passes out, decide to lock their alcoholic mum in the sauna until she recovers. McKee never overplays the role, only delving ever so slightly into slapstick. (And succeeding.) Through the course of the film, McKee creates several small moments that are far more touching than they have a right to be.

The general storyline isn't bad - although there are lots of highly improbable moments that make you want to roll your eyes and groan. This film is worth watching for what's at the heart of it; a woman who's been beaten down and has lost her own identity, and children who desperately want their mother back.

If you're a fan of Mckee's, or like to root for the underdog, I really recommend it.

High Vote score right on the button

[taita · 9/10 · 17 January 2001]

A bittersweet story about children wanting their mother back. Vanessa and her siblings watch as their divorced mother once again embarks on a drunken spree that would ensure their Christmas will be ruined. Steps must be taken. While mother is in a stupor they manoeuvre her down to the basement and lock her in the sauna to dry out. So starts a conspiracy to hide her absence from their father and the cleaning lady. The children feed their mother and spend many hours in the basement with her, hence the title 'Mothertime'. The children also spend time with their beloved father and his new wife hoping to find some way of bringing the family back together again. It is not going to be easy. All these machinations bring out surprising qualities in the family members, not always to their credit.

Despite the drear plot this is a humorous, enchanting story, with quite a few little surprises in it. Kate Maberly is delightful as the maternal older sibling having to mother her own mother as well. Gina McKee (Notting Hill) is excellent as Caroline, the talented artistic mother who has lost her way.

High votes don't always signify quality, but in this case it is right on the button.

i really enjoyed this film

[lilpeach · 10/10 · 22 February 2002]

When I saw this I thought it was amazing, I have waited evey year for it to come back onto our tv screens. I have even tried looking for the video, but it is very clear that there isn't one. overall I would love to watch it again... hope to see it again in the future.

Touching

[Tim-97 · 10/10 · 24 April 2015]

A good, creative storyline keeps this interesting, and high production values make it easy on the senses. Acting is excellent throughout, with Gina McKee turning in a strong, unsettling performance as a divorced alcoholic mother. Kate Maberly is very sensitive in her unusual leading role as McKee's daughter, and she really makes the story work. She also plays piano briefly in this film. Well-directed and scripted, the film moves along quickly and doesn't seem to bog down anywhere. The moral of the story? Well, love is not always where you expect to find it.

This film is now available in parts on You-Tube. Why this award-winning film isn't available on DVD / Blu-ray is just baffling