''Mama Turns 100'' () is a 1979 Spanish

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January 1932 – 10 February 2023) was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. With Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be among Spain's great filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career th ...

. The film is a comedy sequel of the drama ''

Ana and the Wolves ''Ana and the Wolves'' () is a 1973 Spanish absurdist comedy-drama film directed by Carlos Saura. Starring Geraldine Chaplin as a foreign governess who comes to an isolated house to take care of the children of a twisted family. The film is enco ...

'' directed by Saura in 1973. It was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

at the

52nd Academy Awards The 52nd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1979 and took place on April 14, 1980, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p ...

Plot

In celebration of Mama's 100th birthday, a Spanish

extended family An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem ...

gathers at their ancestral country estate. Among the attendees is Ana, married to Antonio, who once worked as a nanny here many years ago. Beneath the veneer of cordiality and politeness, bitter realities simmer, as significant changes have occurred within the family: José died three years prior, Juan has parted ways with his wife Luchi, and only Fernando, an enthusiast of kite-flying, remains with his elderly mother. The young girls Ana once cared for have long since transitioned out of childhood. As an observer, Ana discerns that this family has disintegrated into its individual fragments, with the forsaken Luchi having misappropriated the funds of the plump and scarcely mobile matriarch. Upon the arrival of her ex-husband Juan for the celebratory occasion, the deepest fissures among the family members are laid bare: Together with Fernando and Luchi, Juan plots nothing short of the matriarch's demise to gain access to her inheritance. And Ana, the onlooker and former governess, will soon find herself among the mourners, as her husband Antonio embarks on a dalliance with Natalia, another member of the family.

Cast

Geraldine Chaplin Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress whose long career has included multilingual roles in English, Spanish, French, Italian and German films. Geraldine is a daughter of Charlie Chaplin, the first of his eigh ...

as Ana * Amparo Muñoz as Natalia *

Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando Fernández Gómez (28 August 1921 – 21 November 2007), better known as Fernando Fernán Gómez, was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director, novelist, and playwright. Prolific and outstanding in all these fiel ...

as Fernando * Norman Briski as Antonio *

Rafaela Aparicio Rafaela Díaz Valiente MML (9 April 1906 – 9 June 1996) better known as Rafaela Aparicio was a famous Spanish film and theatre actress. She made more than 100 films. The most remembered are Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January ...

as Mamá * Charo Soriano as Luchi * José Vivó as Juan * Ángeles Torres as Carlota * Elisa Nandi as Victoria * Rita Maiden as Solange * Monique Ciron as Anny *

José María Prada José María Prada Oterino (31 March 1925 – 13 August 1978) was a Spanish film and television actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1954 and 1978. Partial filmography * ''Doña María the Brave'' (1948) ...

as José (uncredited)

Production

Filmed in 1978 in Torrelodonos, the movie premiered on September 17, 1979, at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

Reception

Critical response

Carlos Aguilar remarked that this film revisits the character dynamics of ''Ana and the Wolves'', albeit with a chosen "tragicomic perspective." According to ''Lexikon des internationalen Films'': "Saura reflects the ongoing process of change in Spain's state and society in a manner reminiscent of a continuation of his film ''Ana and the Wolves''. Although imbued with satire, it portrays a relaxed, almost affectionate attachment to its subject. Despite the usual symbolism, it remains a relatively accessible film by the Spanish director."

Accolades

The film garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. In addition to an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, ''Mama Turns 100'' secured the CEC Award from the Spanish Authors Association

Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos The Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos (CEC), known as "Cinema Writers Circle" in English, is a private nonprofit organization supporting cinema and filmmakers in Spain. It awards the annual CEC Awards, commonly known as Premios CEC. His ...

, the Sant Jordi Film Award for lead actress Rafaela Aparicio, and a Special Jury Prize for director Saura at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

References

External links

* 1979 films 1970s Spanish-language films 1979 comedy films Films directed by Carlos Saura Spanish comedy films Films produced by Elías Querejeta 1970s Spanish films Spanish-language comedy films {{1970s-comedy-film-stub