Mary and Martha
Mary and Martha
NR | 20 April 2013 (USA)
Mary and Martha Trailers

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
Interesteg

What makes it different from others?

... View More
DipitySkillful

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

... View More
Aneesa Wardle

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

... View More
Delight

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

... View More
Msbnitski

I thought this was a great movie. Too many critics out there. Watch it and feel good about sad things that happen in the world. Maybe it's a bit far fetched but then again, we can all make a difference in this world, you just have to want to do it.

... View More
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.

... View More
palofsophie

Read the other reviews if interested in plot. The persons involved in creating this film may have had great motivation. The time & talents of Swank & Bletheyn are wasted. The dialogue is lame :"Is you husband cute? I think so." Who says stuff like that?The relationships seem false. The scenes with medical personnel are laughable. The scenery is interesting. I could not watch the entire film- it was aggravating.

... View More
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.

... View More