Our Mother's House (1967)

good film but with many flaws

Admirable film.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This film begins with a sickly mother and her seven children living in an old English house. When the mother dies of whatever disease she has, the kids decide NOT to tell anyone and just bury her in the yard. After all, Mother did have a pension and they can live on that...provided no one notice they are signing the checks or asks what happened to the mother. This is all very creepy and I wasn't too sure if I liked this or not. A bit later, however, their ne'er-do-well father returns--after having abandoned them years before. Now, this scoundrel soon figures out what's happened and he proceeds to loot the savings account, bring in assorted tarts into the religious home and systematically sells off what he can. He's a total creep--using the money for alcohol, horses and ladies. What are the kids to do?! It's almost like it would be better if they just told everyone their mother had died.Seeing this film was interesting to me, as the father is very similar to my uncle--and I am sure most families have a cretin like this somewhere. This took the film from a creepy but somewhat dull film to a really interesting movie--as Dirk Bogarde played an amazingly slimy character. He was vicious and horrid--just the sort of guy that you can't stop watching because he's so awful! And the final scene where he reveals to the kids exactly who he really is--you just have to see it! Creepy but fascinating--this one's well worth seeing--and one you won't soon forget. Plus, I was impressed as some of the children's performances were exceptional--particularly the older ones. As for my wife, however, she didn't like the vague ending...though it did work for me.

One of the best psychological horror films ever made, if you liked "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" (1976) you will love "Our Mother's House", which takes a similar premise, then adds some ambitious "Lord of the Flies" elements and throws in the production design of "Girly".The 1976 film featured thirteen-year old Jodie Foster menaced by Martin Sheen while keeping the death of her father secret so she could maintain her independence. "Our Mother's House" has seven children working to keep their mother's death a secret. They are menaced by the arrival of Dirk Bogarde who they believe to be their father. Bogarde agrees to help them keep the secret, recognizing an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the children and pilfer their mother's estate. Like Foster, the oldest child (Margaret Brooks-daughter of the screenplay writer) recognizes the threat but the others are taken in for a wide assortment of reasons; mostly just the desire for the security of having a parent in their lives. Daughter number two (Pamela Franklin) develops a father-figure crush and pulls off the best performance of her career. If you wonder what all the fuss is about concerning this actress (who never really became a major star but has a huge cult following) you need to see her nail this challenging role. Her character undergoes enough transformations for ten films and Franklin is believable throughout the process. Brooks is very good also, watch for the death-bed scene at the start of the film. There is a close-up of her face at the moment she first realizes that her mother has just passed away. It may have been a happy accident, a lucky moment during one of the takes, but the editor would have flipped when he saw how perfect it was. The three girls in the family generally outshine the boys in this production, although a visiting schoolmate named Louis (Parnum Wallace) provides a couple moments on camera that are on the same level as those of the girls.Some may dispute whether this is actually a horror film (as they do with "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane). It has some Hitchcock elements, a bleak old mansion, dead bodies, séances, and moments of intense suspense but no monsters or gore. The mother was a vicar's daughter who rebelled by taking a succession of lovers, repenting after her seventh child and turning into religious nut case. Bogarde's character Charlie had married her long ago and allowed her to keep giving each new child his name. Bogarde's performance is also top notch, convincingly playing against type as a fast-talking working class grifter. Director Jack Clayton, ("Room at the Top," "The Pumpkin Eater" and "The Innocents"-where he directed an even younger Pamela Franklin) keeps his young cast firmly restrained and they come across as very real-especially for characters in a very off-kilter family. Julian Gloag's source novel placed more emphasis on the children's twisted decent into madness. Clayton appeared to be heading in the same direction but allows Charlie's arrival to pull everyone back into a relative (if temporary) normalcy. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

The always watchable Dirk Bogarde is in top form as a nasty piece of fatherhood here. But the children match him for acting ability, I must say. Even the youngest girl, who is Phoebe Nicholls of Brideshead Revisited (TV) fame some years later. Everyone in this quietly creepy film does a good job with their characters. This is just the sort of intelligent story the British do so well. It captures its period skillfully, and I found myself wanting to "enter" the story to help the characters out! One really feels for the children's plight. Yet, they ARE capable creatures. (They put one in mind of English books such as E. Nesbit's The Wouldbegoods, not that the story is nearly as pleasant, but because the children are so good at looking after themselves independently.) I have always found these atmospheric English films far superior to slam-bang American entertainment. Not to everyone's taste, perhaps, but that makes it more fun, too. Whistle Down the Wind comes to mind as a similarly enjoyable essay on quirky childhood experiences.

I actually saw this movie as a child of about 10, and I loved how absolutely scary it was. I must say, that I wouldn't recommend that very young viewers are allowed to see it, as it could terrify and leave lasting fears in them. This is a very dark, very desperate movie, not to be missed. The acting is extremely accomplished, especially considering the ages of most of the cast. Lighting is used extremely effectively, making the viewer wonder what is coming next, or perhaps what might be being missed that might be essential.This movie still sticks in my mind 36 years later as one of the most effective dramas I've seen.