Mother of George

Mother of George is a 2013 Nigerian drama film directed by Andrew Dosunmu[1] and tells the story of a newly married Nigerian couple in Brooklyn who own and manage a small restaurant while struggling with fertility issues. The film was produced by Patrick S. Cunningham[2] and Rhea Scott.[3]

Mother of George
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndrew Dosunmu
Produced byPatrick S. Cunningham
Written byDarci Picoult
Starring
CinematographyBradford Young
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release date
  • January 18, 2013 (2013-01-18) (Sundance Film Festival)
  • September 13, 2013 (2013-09-13) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes
Country
  • Nigeria
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Yoruba

The film premièred in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.[4] Cinematographer Bradford Young won Sundance 2013's Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic for his work on this film and Ain't Them Bodies Saints.[4][5] Mother of George was also selected as the closing night film at the 2013 Maryland Film Festival.[6]

The film has been acquired for U.S. distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[7]

Plot

The film opens with the wedding of a Nigerian couple, Ayodele (Issach de Bankolé) and Adenike (Danai Gurira) Balogun. Adenike is given fertility beads by her mother-in-law, Mama Ayo (Bukky Ajayi) and although the couple make love on their first night of marriage, Adenike struggles to become pregnant. Despite drinking a tea that is supposed to help with fertility, Adenike is still unable to conceive and faces growing pressure from Mama Ayo. A visit to the doctor reveals that Adenike can receive help on the issue, but Ayodele refuses to cooperate.

Sade (Yaya Alafia) mentions adoption but Adenike insists that she wants to give birth to the child herself. Mama Ayo raises a controversial option: Adenike could conceive the child with Ayodele's brother, Biyi (Tony Okungbowa). Biyi initially refuses to participate in the scheme but eventually gives in. Following this Adenike becomes pregnant. Ayodele believes he is the father.

The guilt becomes too much for Adenike to bear, and she finally tells her husband the truth. Ayodele subsequently walks out of the marriage and confronts his mother. Adenike goes into labor, and the film concludes as Ayodele joins the others at the hospital.

Cast

Reception

The film received critical acclaim. It currently holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. The site consensus states "Director Andrew Dosunmu's style takes some getting used to, but Mother of George compensates with powerful acting, a thoughtful script, and gorgeous visuals."[8] It has been praised for its excellent camera work, setting, and plot, although the screenplay has received some criticism.[9] It was listed as a New York Times Critics Pick.[10]

References
  1. McCarthy, Todd. "Mother of George: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  2. "Mother of George - The Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  3. "Little Minx Delivers "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha" for Ubisoft". Cartoon Brew. 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  4. "Sundance Festival Award Winners". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  5. "Mother of George". Roger Ebert. Godfrey Cheshire, September 13, 2013
  6. "Mother of George". Maryland Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  7. "Oscilloscope Acquire's Andrew Dosonmu's Mother of George". Deadline. Deadline.com. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  8. "Mother of George on Rotten Tomatoes". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  9. "Review: Andrew Dosunmu’s “Mother of George”". Africa's a Country, September 14, 2013.
  10. "Trying to Be a Parent, for Better or for Worse".NYT Critics’ Pick. New York Times By A. O. SCOTT SEPT. 12, 2013
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