Mary and Martha
Mary and Martha
NR | 20 April 2013 (USA)
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Wealthy American housewife Mary Morgan takes her bullied son George out of school for home education,including a trip to Southern Africa. Whilst in Mozambique George is bitten by a mosquito which crawls through a hole in his net and dies of malaria. After his funeral at home Mary feels a compulsion to return to Africa where she meets English woman Martha O'Connell,whose 24 year old son Ben, a teacher with voluntary service overseas,has also died of malaria. Ben gave his net to one of his pupils,believing adults cannot catch malaria. The two women are shocked to see the high death rate caused by the disease and,whilst Martha stays in Africa as a voluntary helper,Mary petitions the American government to change things. Martha turns up at Mary's house unannounced and,helped by Mary's ex-diplomat father,they address a senate committee on health spending,persuading them to do more to combat malaria. They meet with some success though a coda states that much more can be done.

Reviews
GamerTab

That was an excellent one.

2hotFeature

one of my absolute favorites!

Gary

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

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Bob

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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muzic-42830

The premise is not well thought out. I like Hillary Swank but not her character. The film is propaganda for malaria in Africa. We're meant to feel sorry for an American mother (Hillary Swank) who pulls her kid out of school and decides to take him to a third world country so she can consider herself a cool mom. She decides to do this not caring what her husband or her son wants. Which is really selfish and irresponsible. So then her kid gets malaria and dies. When she takes him to the hospital she tells the doctor hes demonstrated symptoms for three days, but she waited until then to rush him to the hospital, because she thought he had the flu. Even know their in Africa where malaria is a big epidemic. Mary (Hillary Swank) demonstrates shes not very intelligent. At the funeral she asks her husband to tell other people not to cry because it bothers her. To a logical person who makes intelligent decisions Mary is a very unlikable character. She left me scratching my head and feeling annoyed. Who ever wrote this script didn't really think this through.

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petarmatic

It is always sad to watch parents loose their children. Every child is so precious that when a parent looses its own child that parent is finished. It gives that parent a mission in life, which in the most cases is fruitless one, in this film may be it is not so fruitless.I do not believe in the African countries. Most of those states are failed states. They do not have any chance of survival, and people in many of those countries are doomed. It is a real life risk for the white people to go there, my father almost lost his head going to Zaire on business. When Mobutu Sese Seko fled the country they devastated his compound to the ground. The guards and workers, who lived decent lives during those years are now barley surviving. I would never go to Africa unless you want to have a personal tragedy like this one.

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dalydj-918-255175

This story of mothers fighting for a cause is both inspiring and informing the audience on the real problems that face out current world whether we are aware of them. Mary (Hilary Swank) brings her son to Africa at the same time as Martha's (Brenda Blethyn) son Ben comes to be a teacher to young kids in the country. Both women lose their sons to Malaria and when Mary comes back after the lose she meets Martha and the women come together while in different continents to bring more help to the issues of Malaria in the world. The story was inspiring especially when seeing this women be in great grief but trying to fight to make a difference especially the character of Mary who really was the main character of the film and when the scenes were showed of her son dying of the terrible it very emotional in both how it was directing, written and acted by Hilary Swank. Hilary Swank is a great film actress but lately she has seem to have taken a break from any film worthy of her talents but with her role as Mary I believe it may be a return to form. From her reaction to her son George's death to her final speech in front of some government people. Throughout she is asked to not show her emotions even when she addresses it at the funeral of her son where she does not cry. Brenda Blethyn plays Martha and she is just as impressive as Swank while she appears in less of the movie. Her emotions are all over her face and it was very well played by Blethyn. The film was strong written, directed and acted by it's stars Swank and Blethyn that it was a great movie.MOVIE GRADE: B+ (MVP: Hilary Swank)

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Joel Thorpe

This film was truly inspiring. It really changed my view on malaria, and really put into perspective how my life differs to others. Poor children are dying because of this horrible disease, and this film captures the awareness brilliantly. We are truly lucky to have live the lives we live, and this film proves that. I now put myself in others shoes before I react upon occurrences in my own life. Also, it meant a lot to me, because my mum knows "Ben's" mum, in real life. So having the thought in the back of my mind, that this story is true, really strengthens the realism. Yes, it makes it more sad, but all the more inspiring. The film is so well put together, and really thumps you with a whirlwind of emotion and sympathy. A very sad, but brilliant film. A must watch.

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