![]() For all his gruffness, he cares deeply for his nieces and nephews, and he has great respect for Marta. Uncle Chris scares the daylights out of the Hanson children and Marta’s sisters. Many families have a domineering family member who has a tender heart. His resonating voice brings the classic work A Tale of Two Cities alive, especially for an aspiring writer like Katrin. This is a time long before radio and television. Jonathan Hyde, played wonderfully by Cedric Hardwicke, spends evenings reading classic works to the family. One of the ways to help them financially was to take in boarders. While the Hansons did not have much in the way of material possessions, they did value education. Thorkelson turns out to be a loving and understanding husband to the shy and easily intimidated Trina. Marta, using her often displayed wisdom, threatens to reveal embarrassing stories about her sisters if they don’t approve of their sister’s choice. Acceptance and approval of marriage partners were important to immigrant families. Trina fears that her sisters will disapprove of her choice of the mousey man “from der funeral parlor.” As expected, the two laugh when they hear the news. ![]() Trina is easily intimidated and calls on Marta to break the news to their sisters Sigrid and Jenny. ![]() One of Marta’s sisters arrives to announce that she is marrying Peter Thorkelson, an undertaker. We soon learn that the Hansons have an extended family in the area. When Nels, the oldest child, announces that he wants to attend high school, each family member offers to sacrifice a bit to help with the costs. It’s a family affair with the father and children taking part. As Katrin begins to reminisce, we are taken back to 1910 where Mama is preparing the weekly budget. The film begins with the family’s oldest daughter Katrin putting the final touches on her autobiographical story about growing up in what for many observers would be a less than remarkable family. If this film teaches us anything, it’s that high standards, faithfulness, commitment to principle, self-sacrifice, love, tenacity, forgiveness, and everyday parental involvement with our children in the end will make good families. After watching this moving drama of a struggling, hard working immigrant family from Norway, you will really believe that such families actually existed and that it’s possible that they can exist again. Modern-day San Francisco is the philosophical center of familial redefinition incorporating everything from Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate to One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dad and Who’s in a Family? I Remember Mama is the antithesis of the dysfunctional families portrayed as the normal families in so many of today’s films, books, and television shows. The irony of the setting should not be missed. I Remember Mama is based on the memoir Mama’s Bank Account written by Kathryn Forbes. Sitting around that table reminded me of the classic 1948 film, I Remember Mama. She wanted to know if we would like to come over and judge a home version of the popular cooking show “ Chopped.” Five of their six children had prepared dishes, and they wanted us to taste and judge the results. It was the wife of one of the project’s participants. At the end of the long day, we made our way back through LA rush-hour traffic and took in a great meal at a local restaurant. News & World Report (August 21, 1989), 14.))Ī few weeks ago I was in Los Angeles working on a film project with Darren Doane, director of Collision (2009). “The nuclear family is the central building block of Western civilization.” ((“A New Kind of Spouse in the House,” U. Worldview Observation: The family, not the State, is the basic government of society.
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