Our Mother's House

Few days ago I saw a film on TMC I really liked, the film in question was called “Our Mother’s House”, which was released in 1967.
It was about this large group of children raised alone by their mother. Sadly their mother dies and instead of informing the authorities the children decide to bury their mother’s body in the garden! They are so scared of being taken away and put into orphanages, possibly split up because there are quite a number of them (seven children in total). One of the children is quite skilled and clever, and he fakes his mother’s signature so they can withdraw money from their mother’s bank account monthly to live on.
So there they are just a bunch of children (ranging in age from about 6 to 13) living semi wild in a house trying to cope alone. Still going to school and pretending everything is how it should be.
Being so young and emotionally delicate they really can’t cope well without some guidance. So they start talking to their mother for guidance, the oldest girl of the hook family acting as a spiritual channel at there “talk to mother” gatherings.
I find this aspect of the film most fascinating because it’s clear that they aren’t really in contact with their mother, this is their way of coping with life. Onlookers would think them quite troubled and clearly a little mad but the children can’t see this. The children gain a beautiful comfort from having their mother around, a comfort you really wouldn‘t want to part them from.
Another thing I liked about the film was how deeply bonded these children were to each other, their love was so strong and pure, their little sprits so free and wild (I found this most touching).
The film doesn’t really have what anyone could call a happy ending! One of the children in a moment of uncontrollable rage kills a person she deeply loved. It’s an accident really, her heart was too pure for murder, but rage within is an evil thing and it took her over. This is a moment in the film which is both captivating in it’s intensity and abhorrent in equal measure. The young actress (whom I sadly don’t know the name of) plays this part amazingly well.
The children find themselves on the inescapable route to the orphanage…


I could only find a tiny clip of it on You Tube, and going by the comments it is not on DVD! Now if only I knew how to work the blasted dvd recorder in case it comes on again!