In Oklahoma, men are men; at least that’s the verdict of a recent poll which voted the state the manliest of the Union. This makes it the perfect venue for a discussion about the complicated, nuanced and fiercely protective relationship that men have with their mothers. Ken Wardrop’s latest documentary enters the homes of mothers and sons from all walks of life and allows them to speak about what this relationship has meant to them.
Anyone who has seen Wardrop’s excellent His and Hers will be familiar with the technique of his documentary making. We spend a little time with each interviewee, observing them in their day to day activities and listening to their story before moving on seamlessly to the next. The camera is a silent presence, peeking behind the net curtain of people’s lives and the stories Wardrop discovers there are deeply moving and incredibly varied.
This breadth of experience means that there are no hard set conclusions, each family has their own unique challenges. The honesty with which the interviewees approach the subject is refreshing and leads to revelations that are startling and unexpected – from a son revealing to his “soccer mom” that he never really felt loved, to a prison inmate breaking down as he talks about how his mother tried to bring him down the right path but he wouldn’t follow it.
Wardrop has a beautiful eye for the composition of a scene. The camerawork has a wonderful fluidity of movement and clarity of vision. Wardrop has a great understanding of compassionate visual storytelling. Mom and Me is a lovely film – a real pleasure to watch.