Mother and Child | |
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Australian theatrical poster
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Directed by | Rodrigo García |
Produced by | Lisa Maria Falcone Julie Lynn |
Written by | Rodrigo García |
Starring |
Naomi Watts Annette Bening Kerry Washington Jimmy Smits Samuel L. Jackson David Morse David Ramsey |
Music by | Ed Shearmur |
Cinematography | Xavier Pérez Grobet |
Edited by | Steven Weisberg |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release date
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Running time
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125 minutes |
Country | United States Mexico |
Language | English |
Budget | $7 million |
Box office | $4 million |
Mother and Child is a Mexican-American drama film directed and written by Rodrigo García. It premiered on September 14, 2009, at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2010, and was the closing night selection within Maryland Film Festival 2010. It was given a limited release in the United States beginning May 7, 2010.
When she was 14, Karen (Annette Bening) became pregnant and gave her daughter up for adoption. The decision to give up her child has always haunted her. Upon meeting laid-back Paco (Jimmy Smits) at work, Karen allows her anxiety and mistrust to get the best of her. She gradually calms her anxiety through her growing relationship with Paco, and they get married. Paco persuades Karen to write a letter to her unknown, adult daughter, and she leaves the letter with the Catholic agency that had arranged the adoption.
Karen's daughter, Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), grows up to be solitary, willful, and hardhearted. She is hired as an attorney at a prestigious law firm headed by Paul (Samuel L. Jackson). They have an affair, and Elizabeth becomes pregnant. She quits without informing Paul of her condition, and moves to a new apartment and a new job. She also leaves a letter for her biological mother with the adoption agency.
Lucy (Kerry Washington) is a baker who longs to be a mother, but she cannot have children of her own. She and her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey), contact the same adoption agency and they meet with a young pregnant, prospective mother. After a protracted interview period, the mother agrees to give the couple her baby, but she changes her mind shortly after giving birth. Lucy is devastated by this news. Joseph reveals that he really wants to have his own biological child, and he and Lucy separate.
Elizabeth dies while giving birth to her child. Since no one steps forward to claim the baby, the agency offers the baby to Lucy, who adopts her. At first, Lucy is overwhelmed by the demands of being a new mother.