Four Mothers – The Challenges of Care
Written by Dr. Zoe Crombie
We all know that popular entertainment tends to be youth focused, but it remains surprising to consider the lack of films that address the realities of aging, and more specifically the necessity for late in life care that most of us lucky enough to grow old require. Films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel show the rewards of retirement with a few tragic moments sprinkled in, and we sometimes see films about caregivers (typically with younger than average clients). For the most part, though, it’s a topic and period of life that gets left in the dust as far as cinema is concerned.
Darren Thornton’s Irish tragicomedy Four Mothers, a remake of the 2008 Italian film Mid-August Lunch, is the rare movie that doesn’t shy away from the realities of looking after an aging parent. Following Edward, a writer taking care of his elderly mother who unexpectedly finds himself responsible for the mothers of three more friends, Thornton weighs the careful balance of taking care of those around you and living your life for yourself. The result is a film that’s hilarious for its relatability – anyone who has had caring responsibilities for an older relative is likely to see themselves in James McArdle’s portrait of an earnest man trying to juggle an impossible number of tasks.
With a touching supporting turn from the gorgeous Fionnula Flanagan, Four Mothers does justice to its underexplored subject matter, treating the inevitability of aging with heart and humour.
See Four Mothers on the 13th, 15th and 17th of May.
