Search - All About My Mother [Widescreen/Fullscreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity, Substance Abuse, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1999 DVD Release: 07/11/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: Spanish Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 42 mins Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Members Wishing: 18 Genres: Comedy Drama, Reunion Films, Feminist Film, Ensemble Film See Also: All About My Mother [Widescreen], All About My Mother

Pedro Almodóvar directed this story of a woman and her circle of friends who find themselves suffering a variety of emotional crises. Manuela (Cecilia Roth) is a single mother who has raised her son, Esteban (Eloy Azorín), to adulthood on her own and has come to emotionally depend on him. One night, Manuela and Esteban take in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire; after the show, Esteban is struck and killed by a passing motorist as he dashes into the street to get an autograph from Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), who played Blanche. Emotionally devastated, Manuela relocates to Barcelona in hopes of finding her ex-husband (and Esteban's father), who is now working as a female impersonator. Manuela becomes reacquainted with old friend La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), a transsexual, and is introduced to Sister Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a good-hearted nun who has to contend with her considerably more cynical mother (Rosa María Sardà). While looking for work, Manuela becomes acquainted with Huma Rojo. Huma, on the other hand, has troubles of her own, most involving her drug-addicted significant other, Nina (Candela Peña). Displaying Almodóvar's trademark visual style and a unusually strong sense of character-driven drama, Todo Sobre Mi Madre/All About My Mother received a highly anticipated theatrical run in Spain before winning the Best Director award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival; in 2000, Almodóvar would receive the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cecilia Roth - Manuela
Marisa Paredes - Huma Rojo
Penélope Cruz - Sister Rosa
Candela Peña - Nina
Antonia San Juan - La Agrado
Eloy Azorín - Esteban
Rosa María Sardà - Rosa's Mother

Pedro Almodóvar's Academy award-winner is a funny and moving portrait of a woman dealing with the grief of losing a son. It may be remembered for launching the career of Penélope Cruz in American movies much like Almodovar's Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! did for Antonio Banderas. The All About My Mother DVD release exemplifies what DVD technology does to preserve the power of a film. On video or television, this movie would translate into good melodrama and be remembered only for some superb acting, but on DVD Almodovar's bright colors and vivid imagery survive. Madrid and Barcelona are lovingly filmed, making them characters in the narrative -- this is almost an offbeat promotional film for Spanish tourism. Also included is a meaty interview with Almodovar, who is almost stuffed-animal cute with his spiky hair and lispy English. Other bonus material includes an isolated score, as well as production and cast notes. While the extra features are enjoyable, having the film with its cinematic presentation intact is the reason to own or watch the =All About My Mother DVD. ~ Chris Lawrence, All Movie Guide