You'll Like My Mother

You'll Like My Mother
Directed by	Lamont Johnson
Produced by	Mort Briskin
Written by	Jo Heims
Based on	You'll Like My Mother by Naomie A. Hintze
Starring	Patty Duke Rosemary Murphy Richard Thomas Sian Barbara Allen
Music by	Gil Melle
Cinematography	Jack A. Marta
Edited by	Edward M. Abroms
Production company	Bing Crosby Productions
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	October 13, 1972
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

You'll Like My Mother is a 1972 American horror and thriller film directed by Lamont Johnson and starring Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas. Based on the novel by Naomi A. Hintze, the film follows a pregnant widow who travels from Los Angeles to rural Minnesota to meet her mother-in-law, who she comes to find out has sinister motives against her.

The film was shot on location in Duluth, Minnesota at the Glensheen Historic Estate. In 1977 the Glensheen Mansion became the site of the infamous murders of mansion owner and prominent heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse.

A very pregnant Francesca (Patty Duke) travels from Los Angeles to Minnesota to meet her late husband's mother, Mrs. Kinsolving, whom she has never met before. Mrs. Kinsolving (Rosemary Murphy) is cold to Francesca, questions whether she is actually pregnant with her son's baby, and tells Francesca she wants nothing to do with her or her baby in the future. It soon becomes clear that Francesca cannot leave that night as a blizzard has made the roads impassable. Francesca is forced to stay in the Kinsolving mansion for a few days. She soon begins to suspect that something is amiss due to inconsistencies in information between what her late husband (Matthew) told her and Mrs. Kinsolving's statements to her.

While Matthew never mentioned he had a sister, Mrs. Kinsolving claims that the mentally challenged and non-verbal Kathleen (Sian Barbara Allen) is Matthew's sister. After Mrs. Kinsolving retires for the night, Francesca sneaks around and discovers in the family Bible that Matthew's mother (Maria) died eleven days after Matthew was killed in the Vietnam War, that Mrs. Kinsolving is actually Maria's sister in law, Katherine, who is Kathleen's mother and the mother of Kenny (Richard Thomas), a serial rapist and murderer who is hiding somewhere in the Kinsolving mansion. Francesca goes into labor, but Mrs. Kinsolving refuses to call for an ambulance. She sedates Francesca heavily. When the baby is born, Mrs. Kinsolving announces it is dead and hands the baby over to Kathleen to bury.

That night, Kathleen rouses Francesca and takes her to the attic where she finds Kathleen has hidden her baby (who is actually very much alive) in a picnic basket. Mrs. Kinsolving, suspecting Francesca is sneaking around the mansion, locks her in her room. Kathleen is able to locate the key to the room and unlocks it, allowing Francesca to care for her baby. One night, Francesca secretly spies the unsuspecting Kenny who is hiding in the basement laundry. She overhears his conversation with Mrs. Kinsolving, and it is menacing. Meanwhile, Mrs. Kinsolving discovers that the family Bible has been opened to the page detailing the date of Maria Kinsolving's death. Mrs. Kinsolving informs Kenny that Francesca knows Maria is dead, but does not think she is aware that Kenny is hiding in the mansion. The next morning, Mrs. Kinsolving announces that the blizzard has cleared enough for a driver to take Francesca into town to take the bus back to Los Angeles.