Mothering Sunday
Short description
Mothering Sunday is set in England in 1924, on a spring day when the Niven household gives its maid, Jane Fairchild, time off for Mothering Day. Jane is an orphan with nowhere to go, so she uses the empty house to meet Paul Sheringham, the son of the neighbouring family, who is engaged to Emma Hobday. Their relationship has lasted seven years in secret. The engagement lunch that occupies the Nivens will bring the affair to an end, and the day becomes a turning point that shapes the rest of Jane's life.
Eva Husson directed the film from a screenplay by Alice Birch, with Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen producing. Odessa Young plays the young Jane, with Josh O'Connor as Paul, Sope Dirisu, Patsy Ferran and Emma D'Arcy in supporting roles, and Glenda Jackson as Jane in later life in one of her final screen appearances. It followed Husson's earlier features, including Bang Gang and Girls of the Sun.
Released in November 2021, the film made about 2 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.1 out of 10 from roughly 6,100 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.4 from 138 votes. A critics' score of 6.6 from 137 reviews places it above the audience ratings on both sites. The modest returns suit a literary period drama with a small cast and restrained scale.
What's left behind the scenes
- Donald (played by Shope Dirisu) gives Jane, played by Odessa Young, Virginia Woolf’s essay ‘A Room of One’s Own,’ first published in September 1929. In it, the author uses metaphors to explore various manifestations of social injustice and reflects on the lack of freedom of expression for women.
- The first appearance on screen in over 30 years in a film released in theaters by Glenda Jackson, who received an Academy Award in 1971 and 1974 for Best Actress for 'Women in Love' (Ken Russell, 1969) and 'A Touch of Class' (Melvin Frank, 1973) respectively. Prior to this, Jackson was last seen in Peter Duffell's adventure film 'Windfall' (1990). The actress’s penultimate role.
- According to the script, the film's action takes place in spring (as evidenced by Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent), but in the scene with the bike ride, the viewer sees that it is summer or early autumn – judging by the tall grass, the lush green or already yellowing leaves, etc.
- Director Eva Hudson cast Josh O'Connor as Paul after seeing his performance in Francis Lee’s melodrama “God’s Own Country” (2017).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
