Four Mothers – Film Review
by Frank L.

Director – Darren Thornton
Writers – Colin Thornton, Darren Thornton
Stars – James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy

Edward (James McArdle) is a gay man in his late thirties who makes a living writing. He lives at home with his elderly mother, Alma (Fionnuala Flanagan), who has lost the power of speech due to a stroke. He is her sole carer. She can communicate not only through a tablet but also through the raised eyebrow or just a look that only a mother can give!

Edward’s career is about to take off as his latest novel has become a sensation on TikTok in the United States, and his publisher wants him to promote it over there. But how can he go? He agonises with Dermot (Rory O’Neill), who is both a friend and counsellor. He has two other gay friends who are each the principal carer for an elderly mother. They are all trapped to a greater or lesser extent until the two friends decide to head off to the Maspalomas Winter Pride Festival and dump their mothers on Edward. Then Dermot leaves his mother with Edward, so that he can join the Maspalomas shindig. So Edward has to care, with a little bit of support from an old fling Raf (Gaetan Garcia), for four demanding old ladies in a small suburban house somewhere in the vicinity of Dublin. Each of the ladies inevitably has their own little foibles which stretch Edward’s patience and caring skills to the limit.  However, what all four of them have in common is that they are widows and each is the mother of a gay son who is their carer.

The initial inspiration for Darren Thornton and his co-writer/ brother Colin was Gianni Di Gregorio’s 2008 film Mid-August Lunch. The Thorntons place centre stage the role of a child caring for an enfeebled elderly parent. In this case, each of the carers is gay.  In the scenario devised, the four mothers find a grudging modus vivendi as Edward juggles his many responsibilities. There is a great deal of humour as the plot unfolds, but what gives the film substance is the quality of the acting of the four mothers, namely Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy, Stella McCusker and Paddy McGlynn. They are greatly assisted by the subtle performance of McArdle as he juggles his many responsibilities while his life is almost passing him by. Flanagan’s performance is astounding. She has to rely on a tablet and her body language to express her feelings. She does so in spades. It is a great feat of acting.

Four Mothers is a heart-warming story about caring, which is a stressful and time-consuming occupation. The Thornton brothers have managed to create a film, with many comic moments, which highlights some of the challenges that a carer faces and the complexity of the relationships which caring creates. It is a heart-warming film and it generates a feel-good factor.