Mother and Child

Name: Mother and Child
Genre: Drama
Released: May 7, 2010
Duration: 125 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Naomi Watts

2010

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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Mother And Child

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: May 7, 2010 | R

Starring: Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Naomi Watts

Summary: Three women's lives share a common core: they have all been profoundly affected by adoption. Karen placed a baby for adoption at age 14 and has been haunted ever since by the daughter she never knew. Elizabeth grew up as an adopted child; she's a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. Lucy is just embarkingThree women's lives share a common core: they have all been profoundly affected by adoption. Karen placed a baby for adoption at age 14 and has been haunted ever since by the daughter she never knew. Elizabeth grew up as an adopted child; she's a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. Lucy is just embarking with her husband on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents. (Sony Picture Classics)… Expand

Director: Rodrigo García

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 125 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Rex Reed

A flawless film of heartrending realism about the eternal chord that binds parents and children and the emptiness when they are separated. Read full review

Claudia Puig

Mother and Child is as tangled as the emotions that link parents and children. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Still, the goodwill lingers, even though Mother and Child falls down, dies and is beginning to look a little green and stiff about 15 minutes before the finish line. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Eventually, all of the stories will come together in a somewhat contrived way. The film's parts are greater than the whole. But the parts are worth the effort. Read full review

Movieline Michelle Orange

Garcia, despite creating yet another vibrant canvas for his actors, deflects the burden of this toughest and most modern of familial conundrums, offering instead the bland, regressive ideal of motherhood as not only redemptive but required. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

Some may find the film overly schematic, but Garcia smartly uses three parallel narratives to probe the extraordinary nature of motherhood. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

A slow and lugubrious film about the impact of adoption on the lives of three women. Read full review

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User Reviews

jeremyp

Sep 10, 2010

This is a movie with strong women front and center and much softer men definitely on the perimeter. Benning is incredible, and with her acting in "The kids are all right" she ought to at least get the best female actor of the season award. She plays a brittle, socially prickly spinsterThis is a movie with strong women front and center and much softer men definitely on the perimeter. Benning is incredible, and with her acting in "The kids are all right" she ought to at least get the best female actor of the season award. She plays a brittle, socially prickly spinster living with her frail ailing mother. We learn early that she gave up her child at 14, and we are to presume that this has brought her to cope by keeping people at a distance, which she does with great success through the personality of a haughty, reactive, woman with her own arcane sense of social propriety.

The child she gave up is played by Naomi Watts, who is also a bitter loner who has her mother's genes and the story to match. Naomi's character is far more powerful than Bennings. While Benning is a shrill, cold, arrogant woman who's defensiveness is expressed in attack, Naomi is a control Goddess, who uses her intellectual and sexual power to move men around like pieces on a check board. She seduces her boss (Samuel Jackson in a mellower role) after taking umbrage at his inviting her to dinner alone. The message is clear: "I make the moves here." Then without much of a break she seduces the next door married neighbor. Because she can? Partly, but I suspect mostly to strike back at his wife's pregnancy.

The third mother in this story is played by Kerry Washington a married woman determined to adopt the child she cannot conceive. The woman whose child she wishes to adopt (played with fierce intensity by Shareeka Epps) is another strong woman. She's not simply giving up a child she's going to arrange it's future environment as much as she can. She doesnâ… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

alejandro970

Aug 12, 2023

Narrated in a realistic tone, it tells a linked story about a bond that is invisible but unbreakable: that of mothers and daughters. It is not for nothing that the film had the patronage of Alejandro González Iñarritu. An example of how to make and sell a story that awakens the viewer'sNarrated in a realistic tone, it tells a linked story about a bond that is invisible but unbreakable: that of mothers and daughters. It is not for nothing that the film had the patronage of Alejandro González Iñarritu. An example of how to make and sell a story that awakens the viewer's empathy without the hook of cheap sentimentality. Watch and learn, Hallmark.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

nutterjr

Jul 5, 2011

Some bonds are so strong that when broken the individuals previously connected can no longer function properly. Mother and child explore the mother and child bond and the effects it has on a woman desperately needing to be a mom and also a woman and her daughter separated at birth. TheSome bonds are so strong that when broken the individuals previously connected can no longer function properly. Mother and child explore the mother and child bond and the effects it has on a woman desperately needing to be a mom and also a woman and her daughter separated at birth. The performances are pitch perfect from Bening, Watts and the remainder of the cast.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Diezmartinez

Oct 22, 2010

La primera pelicula hollywoodense de la productora Cha-Cha-Cha (fundada por Cuaron, Gonzalez Iarritu y del Toro) es un solido woman's film que, a pesar de un final demasiado convencional, tiene un par de elementos a su favor: la limpia realizacion artesanal de uno de los directores deLa primera pelicula hollywoodense de la productora Cha-Cha-Cha (fundada por Cuaron, Gonzalez Iarritu y del Toro) es un solido woman's film que, a pesar de un final demasiado convencional, tiene un par de elementos a su favor: la limpia realizacion artesanal de uno de los directores de cabecera de HBO Rodrigo Garcia y un reparto uniformemente competente en el que brilla especialmente Annette Benning en el papel de una seca enfermera cincuentona que no deja que el amor llame a su puerta.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

hamidgoodarzi

Oct 16, 2022

mother and child
The fact that the director of the film is the son of Gabriel García Márquez increases the desire to see the film. "mother and child" is the story of women's suffering, despair and bitter loneliness. The film has a philosophical theme and the film revolves around women andmother and child
The fact that the director of the film is the son of Gabriel García Márquez increases the desire to see the film. "mother and child" is the story of women's suffering, despair and bitter loneliness. The film has a philosophical theme and the film revolves around women and the relationship between self and childbearing. As the film progresses and the narratives of three different women come together, the film gets better. Although the connection between these three narratives becomes somewhat predictable from the middle of the film, the film is worth watching with brilliant performances and a good script.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

worleyjamers

Dec 8, 2012

Only saw the second part of this, but each of the leading ladies did a great job and the story and writing was solid. I hope to watch this all the way through one day.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

raco2046

Oct 9, 2010

While watching this film, one realizes that Rodrigo Garcia has been making the same movie... during all his career. His themes, style and framing is exactly the same throughout his work, maybe except for TV. It is a shame about this flick, a strong cast that turns awry due to theWhile watching this film, one realizes that Rodrigo Garcia has been making the same movie... during all his career. His themes, style and framing is exactly the same throughout his work, maybe except for TV. It is a shame about this flick, a strong cast that turns awry due to the predictability of every single character an shot in the movie. Such a shame.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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