Parallel Mothers

Parallel Mothers
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Parallel Mothers is a drama from renowned Spanish director Pedro Almódovar. It has mature themes about motherhood and the lasting scars of war, as well as some sexual content, drinking, smoking, and language, but it's pretty reserved compared to other Almodóvar films. Two women persevere through painful childbirth, one makes a disturbing discovery about her baby, and (spoiler alert) the other loses her child to SIDS. A woman recalls having been blackmailed to have sex with two men; her friend correctly labels this as rape. Skeletons and artifacts are exhumed from a decades-old mass grave, and wartime atrocities are discussed. Two different couples have sex; oral sex is suggested, but there's no explicit nudity. Adults drink wine and liquor at home and in bars; some smoke cigarettes. There's mention of a "junkie" and a woman dying of an overdose at age 27. A character recalls a party where she was drunk and on pills, and a character takes a tranquilizer to sleep. Language in the English subtitles includes "screw," "pissed," "damn," and "whore."
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What's the Story?
Janis (Penélope Cruz) and Ana (Milena Smit) are two single mothers-to-be who are sharing a hospital room at the start of PARALLEL MOTHERS (MADRES PARALELAS). They keep in contact for awhile after their babies are born; when Janis makes a disturbing discovery, she eventually gets back in touch with Ana and forges a close relationship. Meanwhile, Janis has engaged former lover/forensic anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde) to help her rural village exhume and identify the remains of their loved ones, who were violently rounded up, killed, and left in a mass roadside grave some 80 years before.
Is It Any Good?
Guided by exceptional performances from the film's mostly female cast, this melodrama from Spanish maestro Pedro Almódovar blends many of his usual touchstones with a distinct social justice message. Cruz is hypnotic as Janis in Parallel Mothers. Some aspects of her look and the setting/set design, characterized by the director's usual red-led primary tones, are reminiscent of other performances she's given for him, including 2019's Pain and Glory and 2006's Volver. But this time Cruz is largely understated as a woman who uncovers a deeply painful truth and has to muster the courage to face it. Her story is paralleled by another involving the excavation of a Civil War-era mass grave, part of a political and social movement in Spain to reconcile, rather than ignore, harrowing historical facts.
In typical Almodóvar fashion, several narrative strands merge together, though a couple of scenes in the film's climax (especially one in which Cruz lectures her young lover about Spanish history) feel overly scripted. As usual, the director wraps the story around a support network of female characters. For good measure, he puts Cruz in a "We should all be feminists" T-shirt and gives her a romantic relationship with youthful co-star Smit. Aitana Sánchez Gijón is also memorable in her role as a remorseful mother; she delivers a riveting monologue straight to camera in a scene involving a play rehearsal. This homage to the theater is just one of many directorial trademarks that Almodóvar fans will appreciate. Madrid is also on glorious display, as are Spanish cuisine staples like the tortilla de patatas -- Almodóvar certainly knows how to package his country, but he doesn't let its many contradictions off the hook.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the significance of this film's title -- Parallel Mothers. Why parallel? In what ways are mothers and motherhood shown to be important?
Where could you find out more about Spain's Civil War and its Historical Memory Law and the controversies surrounding it?
Have you seen other Almodóvar films? What aspects of his recognized style did you detect in this movie?
Do you consider the characters to be role models? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 24, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: April 5, 2022
- Cast: Penelope Cruz, Milena Smit, Aitana Sánchez Gijón
- Director: Pedro Almodovar
- Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Activism, Friendship
- Run time: 123 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some sexuality
- Last updated: December 23, 2022
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