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Mother and Child

Play trailer Poster for Mother and Child R 2010 2h 6m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 128 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
The lives of three women have a commonality: adoption. Karen (Annette Bening) is a physical therapist who regrets that, as a teenager, she gave up her daughter for adoption. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts) was an adopted child and is now a successful lawyer, but her personal life lacks warmth. Lucy (Kerry Washington) and her husband have failed to conceive and now hope to adopt a baby to make their family complete.
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Mother and Child

Mother and Child

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Critics Consensus

Though it occasionally veers into unnecessary melodrama, Mother and Child benefits from a stellar cast and writer-director Rodrigo Garcia's finely detailed, bravely unsentimental script.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator Aug 31, 2018
Never lives up to the performances and the first half, particularly, is conducted so methodically it all feels rather sedated and even dreary. Go to Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Sep 8, 2017
A
Mother and Child isn't a hard-hitting drama, but rather a precious, soulful look at family, love, and loss. Go to Full Review Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Nov 8, 2016
3.5/4
In the wrong hands, this film could have been grating melodrama. Under Garcia's watchful eye, this is an ode to mothers and children who are lost but not forgotten. Go to Full Review Michael Clark Epoch Times Nov 22, 2023
4/5
In taking a pro-life position, some might assume that it is “anti-pro-choice” by default, but that is not the case. The subject of abortion is never brought up which, in the eyes of some, discounts and ignores the practice altogether. Go to Full Review Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Sep 2, 2022
3/5
Here we are in a world of, with, about, and for women. Without a doubt, most of them will enjoy the emotional heft that Mother and Child bestows. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jul 15, 2022
Mother and Child remains as an emotionally satisfying experience. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 29, 2026 Mother and Child = a *4* star Movie! See more Noodle T @noodle319 Feb 8, 2026 Just such a lovely movie. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Oct 17, 2025 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Alejandro E @Alex970 Aug 12, 2023 Narrated in a realistic tone, it tells a linked story about a bond that is invisible but unbreakable: that of mothers and daughters. It is not for nothing that the film had the patronage of Alejandro González Iñarritu. An example of how to make and sell a story that awakens the viewer's empathy without the hook of cheap sentimentality. Watch and learn, Hallmark. See more michael s @mjsphd Dec 24, 2022 Excellent movie that kept me engaged throughout trying to figure out the connection between the separate story lines. Great acting and a great cast. See more Feb 1, 2022 I had no preconceptions or expectations coming into this, and while the narrative may prove a stretch for some, I found it both engaging and, at times, touching. This reminded me of the type of movie with large casts, who are loosely connected by a wide ranging plot, that we saw a lot of in the early 2000s, such as Crash, and Innaritu's 21 Grams or Babel. I thought early on this was definitely headed in a particular direction, so was surprised when it veered at one point and offered a much different, and probably more affecting, conclusion than I had anticipated through most of the film. 6.5/10 Samuel L. Jackson Binge: It is safe to assume based on this title the main focus would be on the mothers in this film and, along with a cast this strong, I was surprised Jackson made the strong impression he did in his smaller supporting role. SLJ January #52 See more Read all reviews
Mother and Child

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Cast & Crew

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Rodrigo Garcia

Director

Naomi Watts

Elizabeth

Annette Bening

Karen

Kerry Washington

Lucy

Jimmy Smits

Paco

Samuel L. Jackson

Paul

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Mother and Child

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Movie Info

Synopsis The lives of three women have a commonality: adoption. Karen (Annette Bening) is a physical therapist who regrets that, as a teenager, she gave up her daughter for adoption. Elizabeth (Naomi Watts) was an adopted child and is now a successful lawyer, but her personal life lacks warmth. Lucy (Kerry Washington) and her husband have failed to conceive and now hope to adopt a baby to make their family complete.
Director
Rodrigo Garcia
Producer
Lisa Falcone, Julie Lynn, Lisa Maria Falcone
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Mockingbird Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Brief Nudity|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 7, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.1M
Runtime
2h 6m
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