Mama (5/7/2013)

Rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some disturbing images and thematic elements.

Starring Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nelisse

Directed by Andres Muschietti

This movie made me cry for my mama.

Guillermo del Toro presents Mama, a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night.

Five years ago, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished from their suburban neighborhood without a trace. Since then, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids are found alive in a decrepit cabin, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home.

As Annabel tries to introduce the children to a normal life, she grows convinced of an evil presence in their house. Are the sisters experiencing traumatic stress, or is a ghost coming to visit them? How did the broken girls survive those years all alone? As she answers these disturbing questions, the new mother will find that the whispers she hears at bedtime are coming from the lips of a deadly presence.

For those of you who know my wife and I, it won’t come as a big surprise that Lynda wanted to watch Mama to conclude her Mother’s Day…so we did.

Several months ago she made me watch the Mama short that first convinced Guillermo del Toro to make this film. del Toro introduced the clip by saying it was one of the scariest two minutes he’d ever seen in his life….and I would agree. As Executive Producer, he brought me those two scary minutes to a full-length feature film. And Lynda has been waiting to see the full-length movie ever since we first watch that two-minute short.

This movie has the good in the bad of the horror genre. The “good” means there are plenty of those jump-out-of-your-seats, hide-under-a-blanket scary scenes. Of course Mama (the character) is extremely scary, but the two girls creeped me out more than the flying dead mother.

Besides being smart and scary, there are also plenty of the “bad” clichés. Flickering lights, scary music, and 90% of the film taking place at night. Seriously, can you please go to the spooky cabin around noon? But if you do have to go at night can you please make sure you have enough batteries for your flashlight??

This is probably not the movie most moms watched on Mother’s Day, but if you’re looking for a decent scary movie, Mama is a good “Rental.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
This is a surprisingly clean PG-13 film. There is actually no sex or nudity in the entire film. And even though it is a horror film, there is no graphic violence or gore.

There is 1 F-word, 4 S-words and a few other obscenities.

Just about every scene with Mama is frightening. There are typical horror film scare tactics that cause the audience to jump as well as some disturbing images.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. What theme do we see played out over and over in this film? Discuss how each of the main characters has a strong family bond.


2. How would you describe your family?


3. Read Ephesians 6:1-4
   
   Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
   
   How would you describe what Paul writes about commandments?


4. What are some ways you can do a better job of obeying your parents this week?