Families, and especially mothers, can have a terrible grip on a member. Due to his love and fealty he can find himself forever at their mercy and forever trying to please them. That's the position Victor 'Vicky' Hallam (Robert Montgomery) found himself in.
Vicky eloped with Stella (Helen Hayes). The two return from a trip abroad to meet Vicky's family. Stella was put off by his family right away. The brothers joked around too much, the sisters were too judgmental, and the mother... what can I say about the mother (Louise Closser Hale)? She was a miserable manipulative wretch who was only satisfied when she had her three boys doting over her. Helen could see how Vicky's mother and family had their claws sunk into him, but he could not.
As Stella fought for her husband's loyalty, love, and attention, she was getting unwanted love and attention from Vicky's nephew, Jerry (John Beal). He was a young man in his freshman year of college. The moment he and Stella saw each other I knew there were going to be problems. They locked eyes too long--the Hollywood way of showing there was a spark between them. For Stella's part, she wasn't smitten with Jerry as he was with her, although it did take her a tick too long to realize she had an admirer. And when she did realize it I don't think she did nearly enough to nip it in the bud.
But, we had to have drama.
"Another Language" was very similar to the movie "The Silver Cord" starring Joel McCrea and Irene Dunne. In "The Silver Cord" Joel McCrea had gotten married to Irene Dunne then the two went to meet his mother. The mother was extremely manipulative, using her sly ways to keep her two sons near. She even used the same poor health trick that Mother used in "Another Language." Joel McCrea was near losing his wife because of his obedience and deference to his mother.
Manipulative mother movies hit me like almost nothing else. I've seen it up close and personal and it's ugly. They can break up happy homes and turn men into mice. As Frances Dee said in "Silver Cord" after leaving her fiance (played by Eric Linden): "Next time I'm dating an orphan."
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