All About My Mother
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| All About My Mother | |
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| Directed by | Pedro Almodóvar |
| Produced by | Agustín Almodóvar, Michel Ruben |
| Written by | Pedro Almodóvar |
| Starring | Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics (USA) |
| Release date(s) | 16 April 1999 (Spain), 27 August 1999 (UK), 24 November 1999 (USA) |
| Running time | 101 min. |
| Language | Spanish |
| IMDb profile | |
All About My Mother (Spanish: Todo sobre mi madre) is a 1999 film written and directed by the Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar. The film deals with complex issues such as AIDS, transvestitism, sexual identity, gender, religion, faith, and existentialism; the characters are presented in a straightforward and mostly unromanticized and non-judgemental fashion but with an edge of dark humour.
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[edit] Plot
All About My Mother is the story of Manuela, a single mother in Madrid. The film begins on the eve of her son Esteban's seventeenth birthday. They are watching the film All About Eve on television. Esteban comments that the Spanish translation of the title ("Eve Unveiled") is incorrect. He begins writing a story about his mother, titling it Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother).
On the night of Esteban's birthday, Manuela takes him to see a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. After the show, they wait in the rain so that Esteban can ask the leading actress, Huma Rojo, for her autograph. While they wait, Esteban remarks that Nina Cruz, the actress who played Stella, really touched Manuela. Manuela tells him that she once played Stella in an amateur production, and that his father played Kowalski. Esteban uses this opportunity to tell Manuela that what he really wanted for his birthday was for her to tell him the story of his father, whom he believes to be dead. Reluctantly, Manuela agrees to tell him everything when they return home. At that moment, Huma Rojo exits the theater, but because of the rain gets directly into a car, without granting Esteban her autograph. Undeterred, Esteban chases after her, and is hit and killed by an oncoming car. Filled with grief, Manuela leaves Madrid for Barcelona, where she hopes to find Esteban's father, a transvestite junkie named Lola.
On her first night back in Barcelona Manuela goes looking for Lola amongst a group of hookers. Instead she finds Agrado, also a transvestite hooker, who happens to be an old friend from many years ago. Agrado informs Manuela that Lola had been staying with her, until one day she came home to find that Lola had cleaned out Agrado's apartment and disappeared. Manuela, still too grief stricken about Esteban, can not bring herself to tell Agrado why she has come looking for her ex-husband.
In order to help Manuela find a job, Agrado brings her to a young nun named Rosa Sanz, who specializes in helping reformed hookers and junkies. Rosa also knows Lola, whom she helped nurse through detox. Rosa brings Manuela to her parents' apartment. Mr Sanz is ill, and Rosa tries to convince her mother to take Manuela on as a cook, and extra help around the house. Believing Manuela to be a prostitute, Mrs Sanz refuses to give her a job. She and Rosa argue over Rosa's commitment to her job, and over her plans to go on a mission to El Salvador where a group of nuns had previously been murdered. The strained relationship with her mother leads to Rosa asking if she can move in with Manuela, who rejects the proposition. However, the two develop a close friendship when Rosa finds out she is pregnant, and Manuela is the only one she will confide in. Complicating the situation is the fact that Lola is the father of Rosa's baby. Although Manuela tells Rosa that she had a son who was killed, she does not tell her that Lola was the father.
In the meantime, Manuela has discovered that the production of A Streetcar Named Desire has come to Barcelona. She attends a performance, and finds her way backstage to Huma Rojo's dressing room. Although Huma starts to question Manuela about what she is doing there, her concern soon turns to Nina. The actress who plays Stella and is also Huma's lover, as well as a junkie. Manuela has seen her run past in the hallway, and Huma asks if Manuela will drive her around until they find Nina. When they find her, Manuela gets out of the car to inform her that Huma is in the car waiting for her. Nina gets in the car, and drives off with Huma, leaving Manuela behind. The following evening, Manuela returns to the theater to retrieve her purse, which she had left in the car. Huma, impressed from the night before, offers Manuela a job as her assistant.
One evening, when Nina is too strung out to perform, Manuela offers to fill in. She explains to Huma that she has memorized the part by hearing it on the loudspeakers night after night.
The next day Rosa comes to Manuela's apartment. She has just come from the doctor, where she learned that she is HIV-positive. After hearing this news, Manuela invites Rosa to come live with her.
Later that night when Manuela arrives at the theater, Nina accuses her of trying to sabotage her, calling her Eve Harrington. Huma agrees that Manuela owes them an explanation. Manuela admits that she once played Stella years ago, and tells them that this was where she met her husband. No longer able to keep control of herself, she breaks down and tells Huma what happened the night Esteban was killed. It is clear that Huma remembers the night as well, and can still see Esteban's face at her car window. Manuela leaves the theater, and Huma continues thinking about Esteban. The next day Huma waits at Manuela's apartment to apologize and ask her to come back to work.Manuela says she must spend her time caring for Rosa, but then Agrado comes over, and they agree that she should be Huma's new assistant.
Manuela nurses Rosa, but tells her that she has called her mother. Rosa says she wishes that she could be alone with Manuela, and that she wishes her baby could just belong to the two of them. She also plans to name the baby Esteban, after Manuela's son. When Rosa's mother comes over, Rosa asks her not to make the situation any harder than it already is. Mrs Sanz agrees that it is best for Rosa to stay at Manuela's apartment, and asks just to be kept up to date on her daughter's condition. She admits to Manuela that she does not understand Rosa, and asks if Manuela has children. Manuela tells her that she had a son who died. After Mrs Sanz leaves, Manuela really cries for the first time since coming to Barcelona.
At the theater Agrado receives a call from Huma. Nina is in the hospital and Huma has gone with her. Agrado tells that audience that the show is cancelled, but those who are interested are invited to stay to hear her life story. Agrado say she is "very authentic" with a body "made to measure". She tells them all the plastic surgery she has done, and how much it all cost. She ends her performance by telling them, "You are more authentic the more you resemble what you have dreamed of being."
Due to complications with the pregnancy, Rosa has to have a cesarian section. On the way to the hospital they drive through the park. Rosa sees her father, who does not recognize her because of his illness. In the hospital Rosa tells Manuela that she knows Lola was also the father of Manuela's son. She asks Manuela not to hide the truth from her baby, if anything happens to her. Manuela insists that Rosa will be fine, but Rosa makes her promise. The next scene is Rosa's funeral.
Lola attends the funeral, hoping to see the baby. He tells Manuela that he is dying. He robbed Agrado in order to pay for a flight home to Argentina, to see the town where he and Manuela first met. He says he is glad to be able to say goodbye to Manuela in person, and hopes only to see his son. Manuela is finally able to tell him that they also had a son together. Lola begs to see Esteban. Manuela tells him that Esteban was killed by a car, and that the reason she returned to Barcelona was to find Lola. She decides to allow Lola to see the baby, who is also HIV-positive, although Rosa's mother does not want anybody to know this. Manuela and Lola meet for lunch, and Manuela gives him Esteban's photograph. She also allows Lola to read Esteban's journal. On the night before he died, he wrote that he had always wanted to meet his father.
Back at Rosa's parents apartment, where Manuela is staying with the baby, Mrs Sanz tells Manuela that she saw her that day with a strange woman. She questions why Manuela would let a stranger hold the baby. When Manuela tells her that the woman was the baby's father, she becomes extremely upset.
The production of A Streetcar Named Desire is now over, and Huma has been cast as the mother in Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding. She is shown rehearsing the scene in which the mother discusses finding her dead son's body and cleaning up - and also tasting - his blood, "because it was my blood". A bouquet of roses is delivered to Huma and Agrado. It is from Manuela, and the card explains that she has taken the baby and left Barcelona, in order to get away from Rosa's parents. Two years later she returns to attend an AIDS conference. She goes to the theater to see Huma and Agrado, and tells them that Rosa's mother has changed her attitude and is much more accepting now. Baby Esteban's health is also very good. Huma keeps a photo of Esteban on her mirror, which Lola gave to her before he died. Agrado tells Manuela that Nina has gotten married and had a baby. Huma leaves the dressing room for the start of the performance.
Almodovar ends the film with this dedication: "To all actresses who have played actresses. To all women who act. To men who act and become women. To all the people who want to be mothers. To my mother."
[edit] Cast
- Cecilia Roth as Manuela
- Marisa Paredes as Huma
- Antonia San Juan as Agrado
- Penélope Cruz as Rosa
- Candela Peña as Nina
- Rosa Maria Sardá as Rosa's Mother
- Eloy Azorin as Esteban
- Toni Cantó as Lola
- Fernando Fernán Gómez as Rosa's father
[edit] Critical Response and Awards
Widely regarded as Almodóvar's finest and most mature film to date, All About My Mother won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Foreign-language Film and seven Goya Awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress in a Leading Role for Roth.
The film was named by Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, among other critics, as the best film of the year.
[edit] Theatrical Stage Adaptation of AAMM
A theatrical stage adaptation of All About My Mother is currently being developed and produced. It is anticipated that the world premiere production will open in London's West End in 2007. This production marks the world's first English language adaptation of any of Almodóvar's works, and has the full personal support and approval of Pedro Almodóvar. The film's composer Alberto Iglesias will also adapt his film score into a live theatrical score for the stage production.
The English language stage adaptation is being written by British playwright Samuel Adamson, whose original play "Southwark Fair" and new version of Ibsen's "Pillars of the Community" were received with great acclaim at the Royal National Theatre in 2006 and 2005 respectively.
As the production is in development more details are yet to be released, however updates and more information on the production are available at http://www.allaboutmymother.com
[edit] References
- Ansen, David. "The Man of La Mancha." Newsweek 5 Dec. 1988
- Bohlen, Celestine. "Spain's Freest Spirit Gives Maturity a Try." The New York Times 18 Jan. 1998.
- Corliss, Richard. "Pedro on the Verge of a Nervy Breakthrough." Time 30 Jan. 1989.
- Corliss, Richard. "Loving Pedro." Time 15 Nov. 1999.
- Hirschberg, Lynn. "The Redeemer." The New York Times Magazine 5 Dec. 2004.
- Lemon, Brendan. "A Man Fascinated by Women, as Actresses." The New York Times 19 Sep. 1999.
- Riding, Alan. "Almodovar Takes the Pulse of Spain in Transition." The New York Times. 11 Feb. 1990.
- Van Meter, Jonathan. "Man of Many Women." The New York Times Magazine 12 Sept. 1999.
[edit] External links
- ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER - The World Premiere Stage Adaptation Official Website
| Pedro Almodóvar |
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Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón (1980) • Laberinto de pasiones (1982) • Entre tinieblas (1983) • ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer ésto? (1984) • Matador (1986) • La ley del deseo (1987) • Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) • ¡Átame! (1990) • Tacones lejanos (1991) • Kika (1993) • La flor de mi secreto (1995) • Carne trémula (1997) • Todo sobre mi madre (1999) • Hable con ella (2002) • La mala educación (2004) • Volver (2006) |
