Mama (2013 film)
Mama | |
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Directed by | Andy Muschietti |
Screenplay by |
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Story by |
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Based on | Mamá by Andy Muschietti |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Antonio Riestra |
Edited by | Michelle Conroi |
Music by | Fernando Velázquez |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $15 million[2][3] |
Box office | $148.1 million[4] |
Mama is a 2013 supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Andy Muschietti in his directorial debut and based on his 2008 Argentine short film Mamá. The film stars Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse, Daniel Kash, and Javier Botet as the title character.
The film follows two young girls abandoned in a forest cabin, fostered by an unknown entity that they fondly call "Mama", which eventually follows them to their new suburban home led by two adults after their uncle retrieves them.
It was produced by J. Miles Dale and co-written by Barbara Muschietti, with Guillermo del Toro serving as executive producer. The film was theatrically released on 18 January 2013, by Universal Pictures. Mama received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising the performances and atmosphere, with criticism for plot and writing. The film was a box office success, grossing $148 million against a $15 million budget.[5]
Plot
Distraught after losing his fortune in the
Five years later, a rescue party, sponsored by Jeffrey's
Lucas is attacked by a mysterious entity and put into a coma, leaving Lucas's girlfriend Annabel to care for the girls alone. She makes progress with Victoria but Lily remains hostile. Alarmed by nightmares of a strange woman and Victoria's warning about Mama, Annabel asks Dreyfuss to investigate. Dreyfuss’s research brings to light the story of Edith Brennan, a mentally ill
Annabel has a dream revealing Edith's past; when Edith was sent to the asylum, her child was given to nuns. She escaped and took her baby back, stabbing a nun. Fleeing her pursuers, she jumped off a cliff, but before hitting the water below, she and the child made impact with a large branch. Edith drowned, but the child's corpse snagged on the branch and did not fall with her. Annabel realizes that Edith hadn't realized her child was caught on the tree and doesn't understand why her baby wasn't in the water with her. Edith's troubled ghost, Mama, searched the woods for her child for years until she discovered Victoria and Lily and took them as surrogates.
Lucas regains consciousness after a vision of his dead twin tells him to save his daughters. Victoria's growing closeness to Annabel makes her less willing to play with Mama, unlike Lily. Dreyfuss visits the cabin and is killed by Mama, who then attacks Annabel and the girls. She also kills their maternal great-aunt Jean and uses her body to spirit the children away. Annabel and Lucas find the children on the same cliff where Mama leapt with her infant.
Annabel, who found Dreyfuss' box of the child's remains, offers them to Mama. Mama recognizes her lost baby and her appearance briefly turns human. However, Lily calls out for Mama, causing her to revert to her monstrous form and attempt to take the girls. Victoria asks to stay with Annabel instead of leaving with Mama. Mama accepts and she and Lily plummet off the cliff. Mama and Lily are briefly shown as spirits happy to be united before hitting the branch and turning into a shower of moths. Annabel and Lucas embrace Victoria, who notices a moth landing on her hand, suggesting that Lily is still with her in spirit.
Cast
- Jessica Chastain as Annabel "Annie"
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Lucas "Luke" Desange / Jeffrey Desange
- Megan Charpentier as Victoria Desange
- Morgan McGarry as Young Victoria
- Isabelle Nélisse as Lily Desange
- Maya and Sierra Dawe as Young Lily
- Daniel Kash as Dr. Gerald Dreyfuss
- Javier Botet as Mama
- Laura Guiteras and Melina Matthews as Mama (voice)
- Hannah Cheesman as Beautiful Mama / Edith Brennan
- Jane Moffat as Jean Podolski
- David Fox as Burnsie
- Julia Chantrey as Nina
- Elva Mai Hoover as Secretary
- Dominic Cuzzocrea as Ron
- Diane Gordon as Louise
Production
The film began production in
The film was initially scheduled for release in October 2012, but was later rescheduled for January[7] to avoid competing with Paranormal Activity 4. Its success at that later date has, among with other dump months horror films, convinced studios to start opening horror movies year-round.[8]
Reception
Critical reception
Mama received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 166 reviews, with an average rating of 5.90/10. The website's critical consensus states: "If you're into old school scares over cheap gore, you'll be able to get over Mama's confusing script and contrived plot devices."[9] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[10]
Box office
In the United States, the film earned $28,402,310 on its opening weekend, debuting at #1 and playing at 2,647 theaters.[19] It grossed $148.1 million worldwide and is a commercial success.[20] Additionally, Jessica Chastain, for the second time in her career, claimed the top two spots of the box-office with her starring roles in Mama and Zero Dark Thirty.[21]
Home media
The film grossed $12.5 million in home sales.[22]
Accolades
Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Saturn Awards | Best Horror Film | Mama | Nominated | [23] |
Young Artist Award | Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film | Megan Charpentier | Nominated | [24] |
Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film | Morgan McGarry | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Young Actress in a Feature Film | Isabelle Nelisse | Nominated | ||
MTV Movie Award |
Best Scared-As-Shit Performance | Jessica Chastain | Nominated | [25] |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Horror Movie | Mama | Nominated | [26] |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Horror | Mama | Won | [27] |
Best Motion/Title Graphics | Universal Pictures | Nominated | [28] | |
Best Horror Poster | Universal Pictures | Nominated |
Future
In February 2013, it was reported that a sequel was in the works.[29] In January 2016, Universal announced that duo Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kölsch would rewrite and direct the sequel.[30] Chastain would not return for the sequel.[31]
See also
References
- ^ "MAMA (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 29 November 2012. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Fritz, Ben (17 January 2013). "Horror movie 'Mama' to top new Schwarzenegger, Wahlberg films". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Mama (2013)". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "Mama (2013) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Mooch (2014) | Mooch Tamil Movie | Movie Reviews, Showtimes".
- ^ Olson, Mike (30 January 2013). "Mommy Issues: Making Monsters with Mama Visual Effects Supervisor Aaron Weintraub". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (10 August 2012). "Universal Shuffles OBLIVION, Ron Howard's RUSH and the Guillermo del Toro-Produced Horror Film, MAMA; THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER Pushed Back". Collider. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ Alexander, Bryan (1 October 2013). "Who killed the Halloween horror movies?". USA Today. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ^ "Mama (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (16 January 2013). "Mama". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago: Sun-Times Media Group. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ "Mama - YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (25 January – 1 February 2013). "Mama". Entertainment Weekly. New York: Time Inc. p. 98.
- ^ "Mama Review - IGN". 17 January 2013.
- ^ "'Mama' Trailer: Jessica Chastain Stars in Year's Scariest Film? (VIDEO)". HuffPost. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ Rea, Steven (18 January 2013). "Mama: Every Adoptive Parent's Nightmare". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Media Network.
- ^ Anderson, LaDale (17 January 2013). "Mama Is Spine-Tingling Scary". Canyon News. Beverly Hills, California: Glen Kelly.
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (18 January 2013). "HORROR – Mama is Disturbingly Entertaining". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas: Jack Sweeney. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
- Amazon.com. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ "Mama (2013) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- TIME. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Mama (2013) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
- ^ Johns, Nikara (26 February 2014). "'Gravity,' 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' Lead Saturn Awards Noms". Variety.
- Young Artist Awards. Archived from the originalon 20 July 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ "2013 MTV Movie Awards". MTV (MTV Networks). Retrieved 25 August 2016. Note: Click on the 'Winners' tab.
- ^ People’s Choice Awards 2014: The winners list
- ^ "Golden Trailer Awards 2013". 6 May 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Golden Trailer 2013". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (20 February 2013). "Universal to build on Mama success with more co-pros". Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ^ Kit, Borys (28 January 2016). "'Mama' Sequel in the Works from 'Starry Eyes' Filmmakers (Exclusive)". Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- The Wrap. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Mama at IMDb
- Mama at Box Office Mojo
- Mama at Rotten Tomatoes
- Mama at Metacritic
- Mama at AllMovie