The other mother

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Movie
German title The other mother
Original title Losing Isaiah
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1995
length 102 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Stephen Gyllenhaal
script Naomi Foner
production Naomi Foner
Hawk Chef
music Mark Isham
camera Andrzej Bartkowiak
cut Harvey Rosenstock
occupation

The Other Mother is a 1995 American film based on a novel by Seth Margolis .

action

In a major US city, the crack- addict Khaila Richards dumps her newborn son Isaiah in a cardboard box on a dump. Discovered by garbage collectors, he is rescued in a hospital and taken in by social worker Margaret Lewin, while Khaila has to go to prison for drug and theft offenses. While Khaila successfully combats her drug addiction in prison, Margaret and Charles Lewin succeed in adopting the little boy.

After a few years, Khaila learns that her son, who was believed to be dead, is still alive. Together with the lawyer Kadar Lewis, she fights to revise the adoption. In formal and legal terms, she justifies this with the fact that the white Lewis family paid no attention to the boy's Afro-American origins when he was raised, and that his black mother is a better figure to identify with in this regard. With success. The boy is returned to his birth mother, but suffers trauma after separating from Margaret, with whom he has a stronger bond. When Khaila can no longer get along with the boy, she calls Margaret. Khaila now decides that Isaiah can return to Margaret. She just doesn't want to lose contact with her son anymore and be available for Isaiah together with Margaret.

background

The name Isaiah is the English form of the biblical name Isaiah . At the end of the film, a passage from the biblical book of the same name ( Isaiah 11.6  EU ) is quoted. Whereby only the last part of the verse is quoted, in which there is talk of a little boy who will lead the animals that are at the moment warring but then reconciled. This should express the hope for peace in the world (and according to the theme of the film, also between peoples / ethnic groups ). The name Isaiah has a symbolic meaning as the boy shows his "mothers" a way to overcome the racial conflict

Reviews

  • Filmdienst: “A sensitively played, moving drama about an almost insoluble conflict of rights, feelings and interests. Well told, informative with insights into the American social scene. "
  • Movieline: "Emotional drama, sometimes leisurely and rarely touching, despite good acting performances."

Awards

Halle Berry was nominated for the Image Award in 1996.

Web links