I Remember Mama: Amazon.ca: Irene Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oskar Homolka, Philip Dorn, Cedric Hardwicke, Edgar Bergen, Rudy Vallee, Barbara O'Neil, Florence Bates, Peggy McIntyre, June Hedin, Steve Brown, Nicholas Musuraca, George Stevens, Robert Swink, Harriet Parsons, DeWitt Bodeen, John Van Druten, Kathryn Forbes: DVD

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Amazon.com Essential Video

This high point in the 1940s vogue for movies about family life at the turn of the century was directed by George Stevens (Shane), and stars Irene Dunne as the matriarch of a Norwegian family that faces hard knocks with grace in 1910 (or so) San Francisco. Based on John Van Druten's hit play (derived from Kathryn Forbes's autobiographical memoir), the film is gorgeously rendered and quite moving as an act of memory. The sterling cast of character actors--Edgar Bergen, Rudy Vallee, Oscar Homolka, Barbara Bel Geddes, Ellen Corby, Cedric Hardwicke--add great texture and a depth of experience that make the film feel quite lived-in. Hardwicke's turn as a penniless boarder who "pays" his rent by reciting from classic literature is a special highlight. --Tom Keogh

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For that old-fashioned feeling!, Mar 29 2009

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Yvette Eastman (British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: I Remember Mama (DVD)

This movie will make you laugh and cry and recall all the family feelings you had or that you wish you had experienced. It is as special today as it was when it first came out. Set in a 1910 LA a family shares its heart with the modern viewer. It has a startling cast of characters, both as actors but also as the characters depicted. Definitely a family film.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Just Average Transfer for a Classic Family Saga, Mar 5 2005

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Nix Pix (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Remember Mama (DVD)

In retrospect George Steven's production of "I Remember Mama" is the high water mark in 1940s family life melodrama. Set at the turn of the last century in San Francisco, the film stars the usually scatterbrained Irene Dunne; on this occasion as the tender yet determined matriarch, Martha Hanson. Together with her husband, Lars (Philip Dorn) and extended family (buttressed by a stellar cast including Barbara Bel Geddes, Cedric Hardwicke, Ellen Corby, Rudy Vallee, Edgar Bergan and Florence Bates) the Norwegian clan weathers some hard knocks and poignant moments with grace and charm. This is one of those elegant little `jabs of pleasure' that American cinema used to dole out en masse during its golden age, but now seems rendered in exceedingly short supply. Based on John Van Druten's hit play (derived from Kathryn Forbes's autobiographical memoir), the film is a veritable feast for the heart and mind; a richly textured and moving experience - not to be missed.

Unfortunately more could have been done to clean up this print before rushing it out to DVD. Warner's transfer is marred by a considerable amount of age related artifacts. Though the gray scale is nicely balanced at times, the image often tends to exhibit an overly soft quality that is more blurry than evocative of mood or style. There is also a considerable amount of film grain present in most scenes. Otherwise, black and contrast levels on the whole tend to be deep and nicely balanced. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono and suffers at times from a muffled characteristic. Background hiss is detected in quiescent scenes. A brief introduction by the director's son, George Steven's Jr. is all the extras you get. Bottom line; this film still gets my recommendation for a must have Christmas stocking stuffer. It may not be presented here in its optimal condition but regardless, is sure to warm the heart throughout the holidays and beyond.

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5.0 out of 5 stars they don't make them like this any more, July 14 2004

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"advancedbhg" (Newtown, Ct United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Remember Mama (VHS Tape)

it will make you cry and laugh a truley wonderful and memorable movie

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