Search - Andre's Mother on DVD

"Andre Has Lost His Lustre"

J. Michael Click | Fort Worth, Texas United States | 03/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A splendid film that originally premiered on PBS' "American Playhouse" back in 1990. Terrence McNally's inventive and emotionally charged script opens at the funeral of a gay man named Andre (a character who never appears onscreen), and charts the uneasy relationship between Andre's mother (Sada Thompson) and his life partner Cal (Richard Thomas), both in flashbacks and in their present time of sorrow. The two were never able to emotionally connect during Andre's lifetime, and his death has created a volatile atmosphere in which repressed feelings, suppressed resentments, and unexpressed grief threaten to boil over and consume them both.

Thompson and Thomas both give heart-wrenching performances, and play off of one another exquisitely. Thomas' anguished description of Andre's battle with AIDS is simply bone-chilling. The incomparable Sylvia Sidney, one of Hollywood's finest leading ladies of the 1930's, makes an indelible impression as Thompson's free-spirited mother; and Haviland Morris is exceptional in the small role of Thomas' supportive sister. Short, poignant and bittersweet, "Andre's Mother" is heartily recommended to those who appreciate character-centered drama at its finest."

A tender, understandable film

Neal C. Reynolds | Indianapolis, Indiana | 07/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a masterful film, one which manages to be powerful in it's message without being overly sentimental. It tells the story of the mother whose son has died of AIDS and her making peace with his having lived a life style she could not understand.The burial scenes and the symbolic white balloons held by the mourners provide the climactic part of the film, and the close ups of the mother and her final acceptance.This is an important short film, because it is a film of our times. Those of us who are not gay nor associated with those of that lifestyle still need understanding and compassion...not compassion for their lifestyle, but compassion for the rejection they often receive. Association with Andre's Mother and struggling alongside her to accept the individual right to choosing lifestyle is a rewarding experience."

A tension filled drama of realistic proportion

R J Barko | Chicago, IL United States | 10/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andre's mother is, as Cal Porter (Andre's life partner played by Richard Thomas)says - inimitable. She is fiercely afraid to face the realities of having a gay son who has lived a happy and fulfilled life. Even in his death, she remains stoic, cold and removed. As the story unravels, so too, does her heart. With the influences of Cal, her own mother and even a few strangers, Andre's mother (brilliantly portrayed by Sada Thompson) comes to know the beauty her son shared with those in his life and the measure of love he received. She also has to choose whether to ultimately face the realities that need facing - a son lost forever, a son-in-law with whom she could build a loving relationship and a newfound broadmindedness. A touching, beguiling and pertinent film."

A Heart-wrenching, True to life film

Neal C. Reynolds | 05/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this film in a class just recently and it was brilliant. As a lover of literature and a semi-openly gay male it really moved me and inspired me. I recently came out to my parents and they are really having a tough time accepting the person that I have revealed to them. It took all the strength I could muster up to keep from crying at the site of Andre's Mother and the resentment that she had towards Cal (her gay sons lover) and even her son, Andre, after his untimely death at the hands of the Aids virus. This film is riveting and a definate worthy buy. I couldn't reccommend it more for those who love good literature set to film."