Customer Reviews

The Good Mother [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was warned before watching this movie that it would not be one of those 'sit in front of the television with a bowl of popcorn' movies. For half of the movie, I just sat there, my eyes glued to the screen, watching Diane Keaton in a simply wonderful and dramatic role.

Anna Dunlap (Keaton) is a newly divorced woman with an adorable six year old daughter. They have a wonderful relationship, and it is very evident when you sit down and watch them together. Enter Liam Neeson. He starts out as a person with whom you would not want to get to know, but after a few minutes, he reveals that he's just in a bad mood and he is actually quite nice. When he first meets Molly (the very adorable Asia Vieira), she is very shy towards him, but she learns to like him and you can see that there is a bond between them. When something happens (I don't want to say what), and Molly's father wants full-time custody of her, the movie becomes a full-blown drama. It is, I admit, hard to watch some of the courtroom scenes, but they are so powerful and they draw you into the story. In a way, I saw the end result coming, but not exactly like it did. It definitely showed finality in the family.

Keaton's performace, like I said above, was incredibly powerful and she does a wonderful job portraying Molly's mother. The main reason I bought this movie was because of Diane Keaton, since she is my favorite actress and this movie shows her in her best dramatic role, in my opinion. If only it had received higher reviews when it came out. But I go by what looks good to me, and to me, this looked good, mainly because of the cast and the story.

Diane Keaton is one of those performances that really stunned and surprised me, since she was not my favorite actress. It stayed with me for 20 years now and I think that it is one of the very best ever...she definitely deserved an oscar for this. Leonard Nimoy did a great job directing this film..he had just done "Three men and a baby" so I was surprised by the job he did with this film..wish he had done more.

Being a tremendous fan of Diane Keaton's work, I rented this movie (I'm still... that this movie isn't sold anywhere), and it immediately rated as one of my top-ten favorite Keaton videos. It honestly is an enigma that this movie didn't get enough praise it deserves. Most of the scenes are incredibly sweet, warm, and intimate. That's what makes this movie so great. When Keaton's character, Anna, meets Liam Neeson's character, Leo, there's a unmistakable bond forming. I especially love the scene when Anna goes to Leo's apartment and Leo and Anna becomes one, dancing in front of Leo's sculpture, making shadows on the wall from the light shining on them from behind. This is an esoteric concept of first love. I really thought it was so sweet when Anna confessed to Leo that she thought she wasn't very good at sex, and he gently assures her that they can fix that. There's no judgment in that scene;it's obvious that Leo really loves Anna, and their love is vivid. Another favorite scene is when Anna and her daughter, Molly, are in the bathtub with Leo reading to them. This is truly intimate, and I just love the fact that they were so open-minded about being naked in front of Molly. There's just so much tenderness and love. It was, to me, beautiful. And yet another favorite scene is when Molly has a bad dream and goes into Anna's room while she and Leo are making love, and they comfort her until she falls asleep.There's another display of intimacy, about caring and love. The three of them together was absolutely wonderful. That is why I found it incredibly appalling that Anna's ex-husband, Brian, goes to court for something that happened between Molly and Leo that had absoluely no intention of happening. (I won't ruin the ending for you). But I found the ending truly sad and final. A soon-to-be family are wrenched apart by an innocent mistake. I felt bad, because I knew they could have had a wonderful life together. I also felt bad for Anna and Leo. I could really see their love shown for each other. They were so comfortable together; their feelings for each other were vivid and beautiful. This is a movie of non-judgment and unconditional love, and that's what makes it so special. I honestly don't understand why this movie was considered a failure. Keaton is at her best in this movie, and Neeson is simply wonderful. I consider myself as an efficient movie critic, and I know which movies are bad or good. This movie is a MUST-SEE!!! I acclaim Keaton especially for her wonderful work in this movie. 'The Good Mother' is proof that Keaton is one of the world's most rare and special actresses. If you're not suffering from brain deterioration, immediately rent this movie! You won't regret it.

Based on Sue Miller's novel, this is about a somewhat frigid woman (Diane Keaton) who is raising her 8-year-old daughter using modern, open ideas. She then meets a man (Liam Neeson) who causes her own sexuality to blossom. But an "incident" occurs between Neeson and the daughter that filters back to the ex-husband who then fights Keaton for custody of the girl. Neeson is made out to be a sleazebucket at the trial, and Keaton sacrifices him in the attempt to win her daughter back. Of course Keaton's all-out battle to win her daughter back is admirable, and I suppose it is meant for us to think of her as a victim of a male-run society that is penalyzing her for her sudden sexual blossoming and openness in child rearing. I couldn't help, though, shedding a tear or two for Neeson, who is the sacrificial lamb here. Keaton's performance is typical, which for me is not saying very much: I don't care for her as an actress and find her overacting most of the time.

I saw this movie 2 years ago on TV and I was deeply moved by it. I'm looking everywhere to find this movie on video but I haven't found it yet. I also read the book, before I saw the film and I think it's the first time that I like more the film than the book of a same story. I must confess that since this film I became a fan of Liam Neeson. It's a film that sensitive people must see. The scene before the mirror has remained with me all along.

Contains SPOILERS! I read Miller's book and then saw the movie a few years after it came it, while I was a relatively new single parent. Trying to find a new love while your children are small is nearly impossible. It's difficult to date and even having a man over to the house who is not your children's father is uncomfortable -- plus, kids will tell the other parent everything you do, so caution is needed. I decided to put off dating until my children were high school because it was fraught with difficulties like not wanting your kids to meet someone you're dating if you don't know if they'll be around ( a catch-22 ); trying not to show affection for a man who isn't their Dad because you're not sure what messages the kids are receiving; on the other hand, it seems unhealthy not to ever show affection for another in front of your children....

I related because unlike Anna, the Good Mother, I waited 10 years to date, so I couldn't help but cheer her on as she tried to find love and make it work in the context of single parenthood. Liam Neeson did an excellent job of being the boyfriend who had no kids of his own she looked for direction from his partner on how to deal with awkward situations. He clearly loved both mother and daughter, but was clueless as to how to behave. The film starts with small affections and proceeds to scenes like the mother and daughter taking a bath while Neeson reads to them. It's comforting and intimate in a positive way. However, when the child wakes up and joins the couple in bed after having a nightmare, it's uncomfortable, but it's the mother who seems more confused about the boundaries than the boyfriend. In her childhood she only had exposure to frigid relationships and the exhibitionism of her "wild" aunt. Keaton's character doesn't know what "normal" is, fails to establish limits out of ignorance, and her boyfriend makes an idiotic failure in judgment. It is heart-wrenching to see Keaton lose what she was best in her life. At least she was able to see Molly, but her decision to push Neeson's character away was understandable but painful.

This is the best dramatic, least cliched performance I have ever seen Keaton deliver in a dramatic role. Neeson gives a visceral performance that's achingly real. Jason Robards was superb as was Ralph Bellamy and Teresa Wright. I'm usually most concerned about children in divorce situations but because Keaton is genuinely a self-sacrificing good mother in the end, I want so much more for her and hope she finds it.

the first time i watched this movie it felt like forever. now watching it more and more it becomes better everytime i watch this movie. diane keaton looks so pretty in this movie and you can't help but kept your eyes in her. i didn't see the verdict coming out like it did and the ending wasn't that good but i couldn't imagen it being any different.

Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson are fine in this powerful, but disturbing tale of a single mom who has to fight to keep her child. I believe it is based on the novel.

this movie was very interesting. the end is kinda sad and you don't expect it, but still is very good. i'd recommend this movie to everyone!