I Remember Mama (1948)

See this movie for its humor, and its realistic viewpoint of family values. The Norweigan accents may seem unrealistic, but like "Fargo" they are not. They reflect the actual way people in the Scandanavian culture speak when moved only one generation from "the old country."

It has many of my favorite lines such as "I'm going to go wash the dishes" and "We dont have to go to the bank".

See this movie for the wonderfully detailed viewpoint of family life in the early 1900's, the beauty of the life of poverty (another subject I could go on and on about), and the impression of the life in a loving family.


Mama as Memory   August 14, 2002
Martin Asiner (jersey city, nj United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Few films can tug at the heart strings as well as I REMEMBER MAMA. Adapted from the John Van Druten play, which was itself taken from the Kathryn Forbes novel, I REMEMBER MAMA captures indelibly slices of time in the life of a Norwegian family living in San Francisco at the turn of the 19th century. Narrated by a grown up Katrin (Barbara Bel Geddes), the film combines the problems of adapting to life in the United States with solutions that seem unworkable to those still steeped in the ways of the Old Country. At the center is Mama(Irene Dunne), who orchestrates the lives of her large extended family. Irene Dunne is superb with her profound understanding of human nature. She shows in scene after scene that a matriarch must be flexible enough to account for and guide the divergent personalities of her family. For her sisters, Mama makes it clear that she will not permit them to bully her vulnerable children. For her children, she extends praise when it is needed and stoicism when that is needed too. And for the boarder who skips town without paying his owed rent, she resigns herself that he has paid in a different coin, that of reading the classics to her children, thus inculcating in them a love of words. Surrounding Irene Dunne is a group of superb supporting actors, all of whom add flavor to a film that is linked only by the memories of Katrin. Perhaps the most outstanding job is the one done by the non-paying boarder, Mr.Hyde (Cedric Hardwicke), who nightly regales the family with timeless tales narrated in his booming voice, the sum total of which is to create a story within a story with each passing tale. Although the years pass, no one seems to age, and that is all right since the segue from scene to scene is accomplished so seamlessly that the audience scarcely notices. Oscar Homolka as Uncle Chris hits just the right note as the blustery yet kindly man who hides his kindness beneath a pushy attitude. Interspersed through key scenes in the movie are the appearances of Katrin, who interrupts the narrative to talk directly to the audience, commenting like a subdued omniscient narrator on the plot. Again, rather than putting off the audience with a style of narration that in another film would surely be seen as intrusive, in I REMEMBER MAMA, Katrin's comments, as well as all the various strands of the film, are seen instead as welcome threads that unite what could have been an aimless, disjointed movie into a chronicle of a family that rings true with each passing scene. Not many movies can come close to accomplishing this. Homolka, Bel Gedddes, and Dunne were all nominated for Academy Awards. This is truly one of the most heart-warming films of all time.


My favorite movie !!!!!   November 13, 2004
E. Jankowski (Montclair, NJ United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Out of all the kajillion movies out there this is my favorite. I'm only 37 but this movie touched me on many levels. Family dynamics, situational humor, subtleties on many levels, and the specific personalities involved with all the family members. It's so sweet and interesting. You have to have patience though. It is a bit long and not so in your face like movies of today. Finally, this movie shows the epitome of what family is and should be about: love, sacrifice and respect.



Heartwarming Movie   October 24, 2005
B. Webster (Eastern Shore of Maryland)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have seen this movie many times and decided to order it in DVD so that I could watch it again. I have now watched it two times and never get tired of seeing it. The movie takes you back to the early 1900s and the acting, staging, etc. all make you feel as though you are there too. Excellent movie for the family!!


Family Values Take Centre Stage   July 18, 2003
James L. (Toronto, Canada)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This episodic film tells the story of a Norwegian immigrant family living in San Francisco at the beginning of the twentieth century. Irene Dunne gives a terrific performance as the title character who is the moral and emotional core of the family. Various episodes in the family form the basis of the story, some humorous and some more sober. It's great to see a family where values are important and everyone does their part. Oscar Homolka as a frightening uncle and Ellen Corby as Mama's frightened sister standout in a strong supporting cast. The film pays tribute to a wonderful mother, but it also plays tribute to the support that comes from the family unit. It's nice to see this kind of story once in a while!