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Some Mother's Son | 
| Director: Terry George
Actors: Helen Mirren, Fionnula Flanagan, Aidan Gillen, David O'hara, John Lynch
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Buy New: $78.05
New (3) Used (7) Collectible (2) from $18.75
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 1494
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0790731142
UPC: 053939252231
EAN: 9780790731148
ASIN: 0790731142
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1996
Release Date: June 2, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: New in box! Factory sealed.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
Terry George, the cowriter of In the Name of the Father, wrote and directed this 1996 drama based on actual events from 1981, when Irish Republican Army prisoners in Belfast's Maze Prison staged a hunger strike to protest against British prime minister Margaret Thatcher's political policies. Led by IRA prisoner Bobby Sands, the hunger strike eventually lead to the deaths of 10 prisoners, who had refused to wear prison uniforms to emphasize their identity as political (and not criminal) prisoners. But this fictionalized account is not about the hunger strikers as much as the moral dilemma faced by two of the strikers' mothers, played by Helen Mirren and Fionnula Flanagan in an emotional drama that gets right to the heart of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland. While Annie (Flanagan) understands her son's political motivations and supports his readiness to die, Kathleen (Mirren) is a pacifist who cannot comprehend how any mother could sacrifice her own son to a political principle. The women become friends despite their opposing views, and desperately hope for a compromise in Irish-British negotiations while the hunger strikers continue to wither away. By keeping the Northern Irish conflict on such a purely personal level, Some Mother's Son both clarifies and complicates the difficult issues involved, making clear arguments for both mothers' actions in the context of a milestone event in Northern Ireland's history. The film doesn't pretend to hide its anti-British position, but the cause of death on both sides is deeply acknowledged. Through Helen Mirren's richly layered performance, Some Mother's Son asks if any belief is truly worth dying for, and poses the question on powerfully personal terms. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 This is worth seeing. May 2, 2008
Visitor (Moominland)
This would break any mother's heart. A really well put together movie. I agree, the DVD is LONG overdue!
Some Mother's Son December 2, 2007
Donald Shunney
Great movie. Only wish it came on DVD now. I really hate using a VCR.
some mother's son November 17, 2007
Anna A. Siembab (Minneapolis, MN)
unfortunately there's no DVD with this movie... unless somebody decrypted VHS and recorded it on DVD disk...
I was looking for this movie for a long time, as I was looking for "H3".
If you are into Irish political non-fiction, I highly suggest you to watch both of them.
Greatest movie ever made about 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. July 22, 2007
Joseph N. Sassone (Tustin, CA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased this movie just recently although I've had the soundtrack to the movie for a long time & listen to it constantly. Being of part Irish descent I've always had an interest in all things Irish & especially in the IRA's struggle for independence in Northern Ireland. This is simply the best film ever made about that struggle & I've seen them all. The first time I watched it, I cried throughout the entire movie. I can't overstate how moving the soundtrack composed by Bill Whelan is. The music carries the movie & is very touching. The song 'The Sea Bird' which is played during the closing credits is outstanding. Getting back to the movie, the film is centered on the real life 1981 hunger strike in which 10 IRA & INLA prisoners (lead by Bobby Sands) starved themselves to death in a bid to gain political status. Some of the characters are fictional but the movie is based on fact. At the heart of the movie are two mothers
of two prisoners. One is an IRA sympathizer whose other son had been shot dead by the British. The other is a teacher who doesn't believe in violence & is opposed to the IRA. These two mothers are drawn together by fate & a friendship is made. The patriotism & loyalty of the prisoners is enviable & the suffering they endured at the hands of the British is more than most could withstand. Freedom is not free and it costs dearly. One could compare the Republican's fight to our own American Revolution. We fought the English for 8 long years to be free. The British called George Washington a terrorist, too. Not much has changed. The two mothers have to decide whether or not to take their sons off of the hunger strike & that is their moral dilemma. Is anything worth dying for? That's the ultimate question. I highly recommend this film. It's a memorable film and tells a story that must never be forgotten.
Great movie, but where's the DVD? February 21, 2007
Richard Byers (Astoria, OR United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A great movie with some great acting. Helen Mirren is good as always, with great support. But where's the DVD? Way overdue.
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