Mothers and Daughters: Mirrors that Bind

There's no arguing with this film's central premise--the bond between mother and daughter influences a woman in incalculable ways. Directed by psychoanalyst Victoria Mills, Mothers and Daughters explores these complex behavior patterns and emotions, ranging from self-esteem issues to major life choices regarding marriage and child-rearing. Interviewees include single mothers and working mothers, women in interracial and same sex relationships, women with adopted children, and women abandoned by their mothers, as well as women whose mothers have died. Discussion topics include parenting, maternal criticism, fear of “becoming” your mother and repeating her mistakes, learning to communicate, and building a friendship after a contentious relationship between mother and daughter. Some comments are particularly revealing of the psychological dynamic in mother-daughter relationships; as, for example, in the case of a daughter who feels her mother's excessive criticism is triggered by the younger woman's intelligence. Other stories are especially poignant, as in the segment featuring a young woman who painfully recalls her mother's suicide during her own turbulent adolescence; or disturbing, as in the experience of a young woman who became estranged from her mother following a fight over her mother's new boyfriend. A solid effort sure to strike a resonant chord in many female viewers, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Cantú)