Cast : James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan, Paddy Glynn, Dearbhla Molloy, Stella McCusker
2022 / comedy. drama / Ireland, UK / 89’ / Color / status : completed / English / General Audience / long feature-film / All Rights
Edward, a novelist saddled with caring for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. With pressure to go on a US book tour mounting, the last thing Edward needs is his friends jetting off to Spain for an impromptu Pride holiday, leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies.
An Irish twist on the acclaimed Italian hit Mid-August Lunch, this uplifting comedy and tender drama takes an unlikely found family on a journey to embrace life.
Press
“Thornton‘s thoroughly disarming sophomore feature earns itself a place in the mother-son pantheon. A very warm, very sweet story with some bite and tang. A comedy with surprising reserves of wisdom and sadness. Rare in its everyday tenderness. Mixes chatty humor with more anguished character study, plus a perceptive grasp of queer identity. Collectively, the mothers’ differing views on marriage, child-rearing and their sons’ queerness amount to a thoughtful snapshot of a country in generational transition, which will resonate with many.”
VARIETY - Guy Lodge
“Very charming. Cosy as a fireside chat with a nice cup of tea. The glow of a cheeky golden girls story with a slight rub of real rust. Thornton keeps the tone light and the pace frisky. Fionnula Flanagan is eternally formidable.”
DEADLINE - Stephanie Bunbury
“A warm-hearted Irish mother-son drama. Showcases the genial, salty-sweet disposition of the Thornton brothers alongside their ability to draw empathetic performances from their leads. There are laughs to be had, but this story of aging and assertiveness, transitions and limitations, has a trace-line of authenticity and sadness too. Subtly loving. How do we best care for ourselves and each other as we get older?”
SCREEN - Fionnuala Halligan
