Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Scott Amundsen It takes guts to adapt a stage play to the screen without "opening it up;" most of the time such efforts either feel confining or, if opened up, the power of the original gets lost in the screenplay."'night, Mother", adapted to the screen by the original playwright Marsha Norman, is a courageous, nearly heroic effort: Norman does not allow the action to move outside the small house shared by Thelma Cates (Anne Bancroft) and her daughter Jessie (Sissy Spacek) and the result is a harrowing look at two unhappy women and the different solutions they find for their unhappiness.Jessie, a middle-aged epileptic who can neither hold down a job or even drive a car, whose husband has left her and whose son is a petty criminal, has decided on her "final solution:" suicide, with her late father's pistol.The film opens with Jessie puttering around the house and we see that she has a list of things to do before taking her leave. The camera follows Spacek around the house as she does laundry, cleans out the refrigerator and some of the kitchen cabinets, occasionally glancing at her list and crossing an item off.Enter Thelma, home from some kind of shopping trip. The dialogue between them is completely ordinary until Thelma sees Jessie cleaning her father's pistol and, after some verbal fencing, Jessie tells Thelma of her plan to be dead by morning.Thus the stage is set for a tug-of-war for Jessie's soul, with Mama on one side and Jessie herself on the other. Thelma becomes increasingly desperate as she realizes her daughter has made up her mind, and the film builds to a shattering climax.The original Broadway cast was Kathy Bates as Jessie and Anne Pitoniak as Thelma. It's a little unfortunate that they didn't bring them to the screen: Spacek and Bancroft are both excellent but they don't always seem to be related. Spacek is real while Bancroft is theatrical and they don't always appear to be on the same page dramatically. But this is a small quibble about an otherwise superb film that ultimately breaks the heart.

TheJesusAndMaryChain I saw this film when it first came out on video. A friend told me about it and I was so compelled by the story that I rented it. I was mesmerized and haunted by the ending. This film has stuck with me over the years. As an epileptic who suffers from depression, I could really identify with the Jesse character and how she feels like an outcast and a burden to those around her. At times, I felt as if that could be me up there. The film is based on a play so it very much feels like one in that it explores the relationship between two characters through dialog. There isn't much action but the performances are so intense and powerful, that you don't really need it. If depression and suicide are outside your comfort zone, then this film isn't for you but if you're into character studies and theatre this is one you don't want to miss. Bancroft and Spacek play so well off each other that it really pulls you in and leaves you...almost in a state of shock.

Bearrich This has to be one of my top ten films.Speaking for myself, I related so much to Jesse it was scary. I myself have suffered from suicidal depression for years and I just hang on day by day wondering why I am still here? I am right now in the exact same situation Jesse was in in the film, my Mother lives with me and my story follows the film well. If I'd only known years ago when I saw the film I would be in Jesse's shoes later on in life.My Mother is really all that is keeping me here for right now, I just can't seem to do anything until she is gone. I know that sounds horrible to someone that has no idea and probably never will know how I feel and I understand that. It is a constant sense of helplessness, nothing more to look forward to and of not belonging here that drives my thoughts on a daily basis. I am not a coward or afraid to die, far from it. I just can't leave my Mother behind like Jesse did. The really sad part is, it is making both of our lives miserable and I see no way out for right now.I wish people would at least try to understand before they judge myself or anybody that is afflicted with these feelings. I think this film goes a long way in helping them to do just that. As I said this is an excellent film, a no miss in my eyes. If you know someone that is dealing with depression of any kind I would suggest sitting down and paying full attention to this entire film, it may help you save someone's life some day. I think it may have saved mine in a lot of ways.

giffey-1 Sissy Spacek and Anne Bancroft have really immersed themselves in the characters in this movie, to the point where I really suspended disbelief. I empathize with both of the characters so much in this film. I know this sound so cliché, but this movie touches me on a personal level like few films ever do. I am a smoker, and I have never heard a better description in a movie of why someone smokes. There are so many lines from both characters that touch me so deeply. When i first saw this movie, it reminded me of the MacDonald's scene in the movie Ordinary People as to why someone would be driven to suicide. This movie i will watch again and again, despite how it turns out, to enjoy the powerhouse acting and the great dialog.