Mo (TV 2010)

A revealing biopic about politician Mo Mowlam.

Director:

Philip Martin

Writer:

Neil McKay

Stars:

Julie Walters, Emma Cambridge, David Haig

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julie Walters	...	Mo Mowlam
Emma Cambridge	...	Ellen
David Haig	...	Jon Norton
Lucy Boynton	...	Henrietta Norton
Tony Maudsley	...	Peter Kilfoyle
Gary Lewis	...	Adam Ingram
Rebekah Staton	...	Kate
Steven Mackintosh	...	Peter Mandelson
Stella Gonet	...	Dr Susi Strang
Toby Jones	...	Dr Mark Glaser
Cathy White	...	Radiographer
Katie Cecil	...	Jo
Helena Bereen	...	Elderly Woman
Adrian Dunbar	...	David Trimble
Billy Clarke	...	Harold Gracey

Storyline

When the Blair government takes office in 1997 the difficult job of Secretary of state for Northern Ireland, trying to broker peace between sectarian factions, goes to Dr. Marjorie Mowlam, known as 'Mo'. With her no nonsense attitude, rough language and liking for a drunk - not to mention the odd flasher's moment - she is equal to any man and totally committed to her role. However she has cancer. The chemotherapy gives her hair loss and she plays on this to defuse situations with humour. Unfortunately the cancer is malignant and will kill her within a few years but Mo keeps this fact quiet in order to see through her Northern Irish task.

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Plot Keywords:

one word title | character name in title

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 2010 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Northern Ireland, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Four Television, ITV Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julie Walters shaved her head to reproduce Mo Mowlam's hair loss due to the tumour, but she had to leave a small strip at the back for Mo's various wigs to be attached to.

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Goofs

When she is Hillsborough for the first time it must be around 1997. The car that pulls into the drive is a Ford Mondeo Mk 3 which was not produced until 2000.

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Quotes

Mo Mowlam: [angrily] If you want a friend in politics, buy a fucking dog!

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Connections

Featured in Grierson 2010: The British Documentary Awards (2010)

User Reviews

Julie is So Good

Is there nothing Julie Walters cannot do? Everything she does is wonderful (with one exception-Mamma Mia-I do not know what she was like in that- I could not bear to watch enough to see her performance!) But in "Mo" she turns in a career-defining turn. Mo Mowlam herself would probably have loved to see what she did with it. Heartbreakingly sad, funny and profane all at once she carries the whole thing with aplomb. Surrounded by great support and a good screenplay, Julie holds the audience in thrall with her acting chops. I would love to think Mo Mowlam really was like this and she spoke as plainly to the Sinn Fein element and the Unionists. It certainly made for entertaining television drama. An incredible production with an incredible actress at it's centre, Mo is entertaining, educational and life-affirming, in spite of the inevitable end.