'night, Mother (1986)

What would you do if someone you loved sat down with you one night and calmly told you that they were going to end their life before morning? This is Thelma Cates' dilemma. Her daughter, ... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Moore

Writers:

Marsha Norman (play), Marsha Norman (screenplay)

Stars:

Sissy Spacek, Anne Bancroft, Ed Berke

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sissy Spacek	...	Jessie Cates
Anne Bancroft	...	Thelma Cates
Ed Berke	...	Dawson Cates
Carol Robbins	...	Loretta Cates
Jennifer Roosendahl	...	Melodie Cates
Michael Kenworthy	...	Kenny Cates
Sari Walker	...	Agnes Fletcher
Claire Malis	...	Operator (voice)

Storyline

What would you do if someone you loved sat down with you one night and calmly told you that they were going to end their life before morning? This is Thelma Cates' dilemma. Her daughter, Jessie, has had it. A middle-aged epileptic unable to hold a job or drive with a failed marriage and a drug-addicted runaway son on the wrong side of the law, Jessie can find no reason to go on living. Adapted from the play by Marsha Norman, "'night, Mother" is the story of a parent's worst nightmare. How can Thelma convince her daughter that life is worth living if she can't feel her pain? How can she end her daughter's embrace of death before morning?

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Plot Keywords:

punctuation in title | pulitzer prize source | suicide | mother daughter relationship | dialogue driven | 

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Taglines:

It happened in 1983. It was a rare and remarkable theatrical experience. Controversial. Provocative. And shocking. Now, two Academy Award-winning actresses make the Pulitzer Prize-winning play the motion picture event of the year.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 1987 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Boa Noite Mãe

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$442,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aaron Spelling Productions, Blackbird Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When asked by a Hollywood columnist if she was upset she didn't receive an Oscar nomination for her performance, Anne Bancroft quipped, "I should have gotten an Oscar just for memorizing all those lines."

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Quotes

Thelma: People don't kill themselves, Jessie. It's doesn't make sense, unless you're retarded or deranged, and you're as normal as they come, Jessie, for the most part. We're all afraid to die!
Jessie: I'm not, Mama. It's exactly what I want. It's dark and quiet.
Thelma: So's the backyard, Jessie.
Jessie: So quiet, I don't know it's quiet, so nobody can get me.
Thelma: Dead might not be quiet at all, Jessie. What if it's like an alarm clock, and you can't wake up, so you can't shut it off... ever!
Jessie: Dead is everbody and everything I ...

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Connections

Referenced in CSI: NY: Night, Mother (2004)

User Reviews

Incredibly sad; marvelous acting

This film is an adaptation of a play - and it shows. It all takes place in one small house, and there are really only two characters, Jessie and her mother. Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft do an incredible job in their respective roles. The writing is fantastic. Jessie is intent on killing herself, and tells her mother what she is planning, in order to explain herself. Her mother, of course, is appalled, and struggles to convince her to change her mind, and also to try to understand why Jessie wants to do something so drastic and final. Both roles are emotionally laden, and extremely well-drawn. The result is a film that is complex, interesting, sometimes funny, and heart-wrenchingly sad. It is, no doubt, a tear-jerker, but it is well worth seeing.