Mothers & Daughters (2004 film)

Mothers & Daughters is a 2004 independent film written and directed by British duo Hannah Davis and David Conolly.

Mothers & Daughters
Directed byDavid Conolly
Hannah Davis
Written byDavid Conolly
Hannah Davis
StarringJoan Blackham
Jean Boht
Hannah Davis
Miranda Hart
Simone Bowkett
Alix Longman
Caroline Burns Cooke
Joanna Pecover
David Conolly
Emma Stirland
Music byCarl Davis
Release date
  • 2004 (2004)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

It is a story of Londoners connected by family, friends and a certain therapist who brings all her patients’ problems back to their mothers. Lives start to unravel during an eventful dinner party where the cook spoils the food, a coke-headed model flirts with a married vicar, a secret affair is exposed, old family wounds are reopened and one meddling mother drops by to cause even more trouble.

Plot

Lives start to unravel during an eventful dinner party when the group are forced to face their issues head on. For one couple, vicar Dan (David Conolly) and his wife Emma (Joanna Pecover) are faced with the revelation that one of them has been having an affair with the evening’s hostess Kate (Miranda Hart). Worst of all she has to in turn face her mother (Joan Blackham) who drops in to “help out”. Drug-fueled sex, lustful longings and how to make cous-cous.

Even the therapist (Alix Longman) has to face her own maternal misgivings as she returns home to deal with the aftermath of her own mother’s descent into Alzheimer’s. Nina (Caroline Burns Cooke) explores having to care for a sick mother who, when she was well, appeared not to care for either Nina or her sister.

Cast
  • Joan Blackham as Paddy a mother who just can’t help but meddle
  • Jean Boht as Mary a mother in a bit of a muddle
  • Hannah Davis as Dolly a daughter with schemes and dreams
  • Miranda Hart as Kate a daughter with a secret she longs to share
  • Simone Bowkett as Sam a daughter with an addiction
  • Alix Longman as Lorraine the therapist who brings everything down to the mother
  • Caroline Burns Cooke as Nina a daughter who cares for her mother
  • Joanna Pecover as Emma a daughter lost in motherhood
  • David Conolly as Dan a vicar with a wife, a daughter and one hell of a surprise on the way
  • Emma Stirland as Ari a daughter… with her mothers boyfriend

Production

David Conolly was in a show on London’s West End that seemed to close on the first day of rehearsal. Conolly’s unexpected unemployment meant a new ear to listen to the stories and a new eye for the structure of the screenplay.

Eight actors were chosen for the film (including Hannah Davis's mother Jean Boht[1]) and six months were spent devising and rehearsing the script. This was followed by intense periods of filming with breaks so that the cast and crew could earn money to keep them going also giving time for Conolly and Davis to earn enough to finance the next phase of production. Producer and best-selling novelist Lynda La Plante[2] (of Prime Suspect, Trial & Retribution and Commander fame) saw a teaser for the movie and offered to become part of the post-production team and sign on as executive producer.

Reception

Nominated for the Golden Hitchcock Award, Mothers & Daughters was described as the “Highlight of Montreal (World Festival)” by Indie Wire. “Good Performance, pacing and sharp script” declared Variety. "Bourgeois comedy at its best. Disturbing and utterly hilarious" announced RAINDANCE, “Jean Boht gives a powerful performance… at times almost too painful to watch”, exclaimed The Daily Mail.

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References
  1. "Carry on camping for the Cannes cast on a family budget". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  2. "'People are drawn to the complexity of my games'". 25 September 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2017 – via The Guardian.
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