Look at Us Now, Mother!

Filmmaker Gayle Kirschenbaum profiles her hypercritical mother, Mildred, in this alternately amusing and discomforting documentary. In an opening intertitle, Kirschenbaum explains that she made the film in order to better understand Mildred, describing it as "a film about forgiveness." Although they grew up in New York, Kirschenbaum's mother now lives in a Boca Raton senior center or, as she terms it, an "adult sleep-away camp." Kirschenbaum's use of a jaunty, Seinfeld-esque score emphasizes Mildred's similarity to George's Florida-based parents on the NBC sitcom. Mildred is funny, but can also be cruel. A friend describes her as "outspoken, smart, and politically incorrect." In her voiceover, Kirschenbaum says that her mother, who had already had two boys, was expecting another, so a girl came as a disappointment. From day one, Kirschenbaum was never able to please Mildred, who criticized her nose, hair, and figure. Although the Emmy-winning director has built a comfortable life for herself, her mother only seems to care that she isn't married. During the course of filming, the pair visit a plastic surgeon, a counselor, a therapist, and a film festival in France. Mildred tells the counselor that her daughter was a "bitchy little girl," failing to recognize that they share a certain headstrong quality. Kirschenbaum recounts her parents' marriage through amorous letters they wrote to each other during World War II, and even though the couple argued throughout much of her childhood, Mildred takes her spouse's death hard. Afterward, Mildred and her daughter spend more time together. Exploring her mother's life has helped Kirschenbaum learn to forgive—and to establish a stronger bond with her mother. A powerful family profile, this is recommended. [Note: this is also available with public performance rights on DVD or Blu-ray for $75 for public libraries and $350 for colleges & universities from Tugg, www.eduhome.tugg.com.] Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)