I can guess making a film with only two major characters, and little action must be difficult to mold into a watchable movie. However, "Night Mother" seems to accomplish just that. The talents of Sissy Spacek as Jesse, a girl hell bent on killing herself because she despairs of the future. After a failed marriage, her child in trouble on the run and a future of just staying on at home, she incredibly informs her mother that she is going to shoot herself. Anne Bancroft, as her mother seems to full of love of life but oblivious of the pain that surrounds her. From then on, thru well written dialog, we are shown the lives of these two women and the final outcome. There is little action, but the tension at times can get so thick that you need a power knife to cut thru it' What I did find disturbing was that the content of the film (suicide) seemed to justify Jesse's choice. She probably could have chosen to live and try to better her life but the bleakness of her homebody existence seemed to say that there was no escape....a lonely house off a country road, her illness preventing her from possible jobs or going out,relatives and friends that barely acknowledged her etc..Because of this I found it somewhat disturbing.
This film should be served as an instruction or primer of the subject of suicide. You can understand the person who wants to commit suicide and feel their despair, but it shouldn't be accepted as your only choice. The film can be possibly fodder for a play or another movie showing how suicide can shatter a family in the aftermath....maybe another film in the future from the same director, maybe?
This film should be served as an instruction or primer of the subject of suicide. You can understand the person who wants to commit suicide and feel their despair, but it shouldn't be accepted as your only choice. The film can be possibly fodder for a play or another movie showing how suicide can shatter a family in the aftermath....maybe another film in the future from the same director, maybe?