Four Mothers Review (BFI Flare 2025)
The second feature from director Darren Thornton, Four Mothers, is a heartwarming film that just about stays on the right side of twee. A gentle comedy with poignant moments, it’s elevated by a real sense of identity and some beautifully observed performances that allow it to transcend the slightly silly premise.
Edward (Fionnula Flanagan), who is recovering from a severe stroke that has left her with limited mobility and the inability to speak. As her dependency on Edward increases, so does the pressure of his career – after a whirlwind of popularity, his latest book is launching in the US, and a promotional tour beckons. At least he has his two best friends, Colm (Gearóid Farrelly) and Billy (Gordon Hickey) to vent to, as well as his therapist, Dermot (Rory O’Neill) – that is until all three take an impromptu trip to Spain for a Pride event, leaving Edward to care for their mothers as well! Balancing his career prospects with the increasingly demanding needs of four elderly women under one roof, he soon reaches breaking point.
This sounds like the setup for a broad comedy – Mr Mom or Big Daddy with pensioners – but Thornton’s thoughtful approach strikes a delicate balance between humour and affecting drama. Co-writing the screenplay with his brother Colin, he takes inspiration from the Italian comedy Mid-August Lunch but transposes the story to Ireland, embedding it with a distinct cultural identity of its own.
The characterisation is acutely relatable – Edward is a genuine, earnest writer who is uniquely unsuited for the PR world of book promotion, stumbling awkwardly through various interviews with inane observations and non-sequiturs. There’s something painfully true-to-life about McArdle’s performance, perfectly capturing the anxiety that comes with public speaking and the all-too-familiar feeling of coming across badly, being intensely aware that you are coming across badly, but being unable to change course. McCardle is just brilliant at depicting this bundle of anxieties and neuroses believably without ever really displaying bitterness towards his mother, instead directing his frustration inwards.
He and Flannagan have a great, lived-in chemistry, no mean feat when one of them is giving an entirely non-verbal performance. And yet Flannagan manages to convey the most subtle attitude with a simple look. Her deadpan expressions are a delight (Her dialogue, communicated through a digital voice app, is hilarious in its bluntness, repeatedly saying “I want them out” when the three other mothers move in) ,but even more impressive are the almost imperceptible shifts into genuine poignancy.
STAY TUNED NEXT WEEK FOR OUR INTERVIEW WITH JAMES MCARDLE AND DIRECTOR DARREN THORNTON!
All of the other mothers are brought to life vividly – taciturn Jean (Dearbhla Molloy), prim and proper Maude (Stella McCusker), and bohemian Rosey (Paddy Glynn). Even as they clash, they bond over their shared experiences – all are widows from traditional marriages with gay sons, and each gets a moment of genuine pathos. Jean’s act of defiance, sneaking out to a karaoke bar, is a sweet but strangely melancholy moment that resists making her a figure of fun. Similarly, Maude, the most conservative-minded of the three (albeit with a habit of turning up uninvited at funerals) is shown to have struggled to fully accept her son’s sexuality, yet she remains part of their close-knit dynamic. The film never vilifies her, instead offering a comionate, layered portrayal of generational attitudes.
Indeed, some of the film’s most memorable scenes come from the mothers’ candid conversations about their late husbands, the challenges they faced raising their sons, and their evolving understanding of their children’s identities. It’s a nuanced bit of characterisation that, for the most part, they are pretty accepting of their sons’ lifestyles even as they adhere to an old-fashioned, Catholic attitude to the family dynamic. These scenes could easily ring false or feel heavy-handed, but Thornton navigates the conversations deftly, ensuring his characters feel authentic and consistent with their established personalities.
The film’s high point is undoubtedly the mothers’ visit to a medium, played by a supremely game Niamh Cusack. It’s both the comic and emotional highpoint of the film, showcasing each of the mother’s clashing personalities bouncing off each other and setting up the first truly honest and open exchange between Edward and Alma. The topic of Edward’s father is something that comes up throughout the film, but it’s never dwelt upon – until this moment. Their frank conversation is touching without veering into melodrama, serving as a necessary emotional pivot in the story.
One thing I loved about the story is how naturally it integrates its LGBTQ+ themes. Edward and his friends’ sexuality is both incidental and crucial – it’s not the story’s focus, yet it informs the attitudes and experiences of the four mothers. Growing up in the nineties in Dublin as a gay teenager is shown to have been a challenging experience for Edward and his friends, no doubt contributing to Edward’s anxieties and his conflicted memories of his father, but Thornton’s script downplays this beautifully.
Four Mothers is a gentle comedy, but one that is punctuated with beautifully observed moments that prevent it from feeling overly sentimental. It remains grounded in reality, thanks to the specificity of the story, both in of location and characterisation. Bolstered by a strong ensemble cast, Thornton crafts a warm, deeply personal film that walks the delicate line between whimsical and heartfelt with remarkable grace.
★★★★
Four Mothers plays as part of BFI Flare on March 26th, 28th, and 30th March; in UK cinemas from April 4th / James McArdle, Fionulla Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy, Niamh Cusack / Dir. Darren Thornton/ BFI Distribution / 15
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