Mary and Martha (2013)

Two mothers lose their sons to malaria.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writer:

Richard Curtis

Stars:

Hilary Swank, Brenda Blethyn, Sam Claflin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hilary Swank	...	Mary
Brenda Blethyn	...	Martha
Sam Claflin	...	Ben
Frank Grillo	...	Peter
Lux Haney-Jardine	...	George
Bongo Mbutuma	...	Pumelele
Ian Redford	...	Charles
James Woods	...	Mary's Father
Nokuthula Ledwaba	...	Micaela
Sifiso Sihlangu	...	Little Paul
Kagiso Lediga	...	Kumi
Zethu Dlomo	...	Patience
Katleho Ramaphakela	...	South African Doctor
Bea Miller	...	Funeral Singer (as Beatrice Miller)
Mangaliso Ngema	...	Mozambican Doctor

Storyline

Hilary Swank stars as Mary and Brenda Blethyn stars as Martha, an American interior designer and British housewife who have little in common apart from the one thing they wish they didn't. When malaria strikes, the lives of these very different women change forever. They forge a deep friendship and embark on an epic journey of self-discovery to Africa, dedicating themselves to the cause of malaria prevention. Beginning to rebuild their lives, they show how ordinary people can make a difference and inspire positive change in the process. Enlisting the help of Mary's estranged father, a former politico, the two women beseech both the powers that be and ordinary people to get involved, realizing a shared responsibility to all the world's children.

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Plot Keywords:

malaria | africa | fatal disease | political activism | child mortality | 

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Taglines:

Two mothers connected by loss. Inspired by hope.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the local restaurant scene, the waitress speaks in Spanish while serving Mary and her son but Mozambique's official language is Portuguese.

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Quotes

Martha: Well done, darling. Do you know what? I am so proud of you, you great stupid lump. Though I wish you were going somewhere sensible like France or Belgium or somewhere.
Ben: Mum, France is too small. I'm a big boy. I need a big continent.

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Crazy Credits

Mentioned in the End Credits: "Produced with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry South Africa, who does not accept any liability for the content and does not necessarily support such content."

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Connections

References Back to the Future (1985)

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Soundtracks

C'mon C'mon
Written and Produced by Nalle Karlsson
Performed by Aardvark Empire

User Reviews

waste of time & money

Read the other reviews if interested in plot. The persons involved in creating this film may have had great motivation. The time & talents of Swank & Bletheyn are wasted. The dialogue is lame :"Is you husband cute? I think so." Who says stuff like that?The relationships seem false. The scenes with medical personnel are laughable. The scenery is interesting. I could not watch the entire film- it was aggravating.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mary and Martha

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Working Title Television, HBO Films, NBC Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1