{"id":3066,"date":"2007-04-30T09:25:39","date_gmt":"2007-04-30T16:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3066"},"modified":"2021-01-01T16:58:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T23:58:21","slug":"our-mothers-house-1967","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3066","title":{"rendered":"Our Mother&#8217;s House (1967)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Don&#8217;t worry&#8230; We&#8217;ll manage. We managed all the time mother was ill, and we&#8217;ll manage now. We&#8217;ve got to have faith!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Our-Mothers-House-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Our-Mothers-House-Poster-196x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-22780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Our-Mothers-House-Poster-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Our-Mothers-House-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Our-Mothers-House-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter their deeply religious mother (Annette Carell) dies, seven siblings (Margaret Brooks, Pamela Franklin, Louis Sheldon Williams, John Gugolka, Mark Lester, Phoebe Nicholls, and Gustav Henry) bury her in the backyard and try to keep her death a secret. When a man (Dirk Bogarde) named Charlie suddenly appears at their doorstep claiming to be their long-lost father, the children find themselves torn between delight and apprehension.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Con-Artists<\/li>\n<li>Death and Dying<\/li>\n<li>Dirk Bogarde Films<\/li>\n<li>Jack Clayton Films<\/li>\n<li>Psychological Horror<\/li>\n<li>Siblings<\/li>\n<li>Survival<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBritish director Jack Clayton only made a handful of movies during his career, but the majority of them &#8212; including this one &#8212; show evidence of his unique talents. Most immediately impressive about <em>Our Mother&#8217;s House<\/em> is Clayton&#8217;s ability to elicit natural, nuanced performances from his cast of child actors: their interactions with each other are so authentic that we&#8217;re quickly able to ignore the fact that they don&#8217;t look much alike. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Kids.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Kids.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3072\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Equally impressive is Dirk Bogarde, who does wonders with a difficult role: while he&#8217;s clearly the baddie, he&#8217;s never one-dimensional, and at times &#8212; such as when he takes the children out for a boat ride on the lake &#8212; we actually even like him. <\/p>\n<p>The story (based on a novel by Julian Gloag) is a compelling mixture of horror, humor, and intrigue. The film is basically split into two distinct parts: in the first half, we see the children coping in the best way they can with the death of their mother; they truly believe that she&#8217;s &#8220;still here&#8221;, and hold spooky seances to try to converse with her. The scene in which Diana (Franklin) acts as a medium and is &#8220;told&#8221; that Gerty (Nicholls) must be punished for accepting a ride on a scooter is truly scary, and reminds one immediately of <em>Lord of the Flies<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Scream.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Scream.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3085\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Yet Clayton also shows us the ways in which these self-sufficient children are able to have fun with their newfound freedom &#8212; such as the glee they experience when they&#8217;re successfully able to convince the bank to cash their mother&#8217;s monthly check. <\/p>\n<p>The tone and direction of the film suddenly shift about midway through, once Bogarde&#8217;s character appears at the door of &#8220;mother&#8217;s house&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Bogarde.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Bogarde.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3067\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Charlie is a genuinely mysterious wildcard, and we&#8217;re kept in constant suspense about both his true identity and his ultimate motivations. Yet he also introduces the story&#8217;s one major flaw, which is that it&#8217;s impossible to believe that <em>none<\/em> of these children would recognize Charlie, given that he claims to be their mother&#8217;s husband (and, by extension, their father). If you can get beyond this gap in logic, however, you&#8217;ll undoubtedly find yourself intrigued and delighted by this unusual ensemble tale, which dares to posit children as intelligent beings who may be better off on their own than under the &#8220;guidance&#8221; of self-serving adults.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Margaret Brooks as Elsa<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Girl1.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Girl1.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3074\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Pamela Franklin as Diana<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Girl2.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Girl2.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3075\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Louis Sheldon Williams as Hubert<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Hubert.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Hubert.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3076\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Mark Lester as Jiminee<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Bringing.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Bringing.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3068\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Phoebe Nicholls as Gerty<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Gertie.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Gertie.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3078\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Dirk Bogarde as Charlie<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Jiminee2.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Jiminee2.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3077\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many wonderfully realized &#8220;small moments&#8221; &#8212; as when Willy Hooks comments that there&#8217;s &#8220;cocoa&#8221; in his cup<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Cocoa.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Cocoa.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3069\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Scary.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/Scary.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3071\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Georges Delerue&#8217;s melancholy score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an unsung classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0062089\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/927\/our-mothers-house\/#articles-reviews?articleId=245638\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/our-mothers-house-1967\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t worry&#8230; We&#8217;ll manage. We managed all the time mother was ill, and we&#8217;ll manage now. We&#8217;ve got to have faith!&#8221; Synopsis: After their deeply religious mother (Annette Carell) dies, seven siblings (Margaret Brooks, Pamela Franklin, Louis Sheldon Williams, John Gugolka, Mark Lester, Phoebe Nicholls, and Gustav Henry) bury her in the backyard and try to keep her death a secret. When a man (Dirk Bogarde) named Charlie suddenly appears at their doorstep claiming to be their long-lost father, the&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3066\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3066"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61128,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066\/revisions\/61128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}