A maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.
Odessa Young commands the screen as Jane Fairchild, an orphaned servant taken in by Godfrey and Clarrie Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), a wealthy British family on an expansive landed estate. As the movie opens, Jane serves breakfast to a dour Mrs. Niven, who rolls her eyes as Godfrey makes idle chit-chat about the lovely weather that day. Jane has been immersed in this first-hand view of the banal and regimented lives of England’s upper crust for as long as she can remember.
The high point of most of the Niven’s days seems to consist of sharing lunch or dinner with other well-to-do families. At one such gathering over dinner, Paul Sheringham (Josh O’Connor) speaks of his law school studies and how he finds them quite agreeable. He is joined at the table by his fiancé Emma Hobday (Emma D’Arcy) and his parents (Craig Crosbie and Emily Woof), as well as the Hobdays – Giles (Simon Shepherd) and Silvia (Caroline Harker). When Paul starts to veer the conversation away from his studies to his sorrow at the loss of childhood peers – all of whom were killed in World War I – his father abruptly changes the subject. Apparently, no one speaks of such things in polite company.
At another gathering, a picnic – this time on Mothering Sunday, when people traditionally visit the church where they were baptized – the families sit at a table covered with white linen and elegant stemware under a canopy along a peaceful river. Godfrey once again opines about the lovely day, even as everyone else impatiently waits for Paul to arrive. When Emma barks that Paul is always late, the elders sit uncomfortably at the table, trading awkward glances and doing their best to accommodate her petulant outbursts.
As the last surviving son of the trio of families, Paul struggles with the burden resting upon him due to heavy expectations. He seeks refuge and diversion through an affair with Jane, which would have been considered truly scandalous had anyone found out: an aristocrat engaging in a sexual liaison with a maid. However, their tryst has become a journey of discovery for both before Paul must assume his responsibilities by marrying a woman from a similar station. Jane loves Paul, and he probably loves her back – he simply has no choice in the matter.
After Paul leaves for the Mothering Sunday picnic, Jane is free to wander his large home alone, wearing nothing at all. She examines the first editions on the bookshelves and the paintings lining the walls, making herself quite at home. She sits at the kitchen table enjoying leftover pie and ale, then dresses nonchalantly and returns to the Niven’s estate. Paul never makes it to the picnic, the victim of a fiery car crash while driving across a narrow country bridge. Upon learning of this, Jane is devastated.
At one point, Mrs. Niven tells Jane that having been born bereaved because she had no parents to lose was a great gift. Mrs. Niven lost her children after they were grown and knows all too well the pain, however cynical her outlook. She believes that having less to lose guards one against unspeakable loss, similar to the quote from Sophocles, who said, “To never have been born may be the greatest boon of all.”
Although “Mothering Sunday” occurs primarily in 1924 England, when the aftermath of so much senseless slaughter in World War I still reverberated among upper-class families, the narrative also jumps across various moments of Jane’s life. After leaving private service, Janes takes a job at a bookstore. One day, the owner gives Jane his typewriter because he wants a new one. This pushes Jane’s writing endeavors to another level altogether.
While working at the bookstore, Jane notices a fellow named Donald (Sope Dirisu) perusing the philosophy section for books written in foreign languages. She asks if he speaks German, to which he nods in the affirmative. He confides that he is looking for a book for his mother and appreciates Jane’s recommendation. They later become lovers, eventually marrying. Unfortunately, when Donald is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, adversity strikes again.
Glenda Jackson plays a much older Jane, now a well-regarded writer. Her rich life experiences, both good and bad, informed her prose, making it accessible to wider audiences. The solitary life as a published author has become her refuge, her solace.
Alice Birch wrote the adapted screenplay based on the novella by Graham Swift, with Eva Husson directing. The film might have profited from a greater sense of drama or more lively pacing. Despite developing a moving story, “Mothering Sunday” feels like an introspective art house film that could do with a bit more extroversion.
“Mothering Sunday” opens in the DFW area Friday, April 8th
