Review of Mother and Child (2009) by Martha C — 27 Jan 2011

A little-known film that is absolutely fantastic! The cast is stellar: Annette Bening, Naomi Watts (one of my favorite actresses), Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington and Jimmy Smits. The movie is about the relationships between mothers and their children.

One mother, Karen (Bening) agonizes daily over being forced to give up her daughter for adoption after getting pregnant at the age of 14. Her daughter Elizabeth (Watts), has become a very successful but nomadic lawyer, who is incapable of having a truly meaningful relationship; perhaps she thinks she doesn't deserve it.

Elizabeth begins seeing her boss (an excellently cast Jackson), and becomes pregnant with his child. Either because she doesn't want to become a burden or she insists on doing things her way and on her own, she leaves as soon as she finds out she's pregnant.

The second story involves Lucy and Joseph (Washington and David Ramsey) and their desire to adopt a child after not being able to conceive (and he ultimately leaves her because of this). Annette Bening is superb as the uptight and "difficult" Karen, who has no idea how to have a relationship of any meaning with ANYONE.

She searches for Elizabeth in everyone she meets, and you feel the longing and the regret she has for her. Bening is such a fantastic actress, as is Watts, who is magnificent in this film! Not to give too much away, but Watts' final scene had me in tears.

Karen and Elizabeth were searching for each other, and you want so much for them to meet and for things to be okay, but it just wasn't to be. I literally was devastated. This film was well-written, well-directed and the cast couldn't have been better.

It's funny, it's interesting, it's intelligent and heartbreaking. A must-see in my opinion!