X
- 2023
- R
- A24
- 1 h 41 m
- 2023
- R
- A24
- 1 h 41 m
Summary A pregnant single mother, with two children in foster care, embraces her Bay Area community as she fights to reclaim her family.
Directed By: Savanah Leaf
Written By: Savanah Leaf
- 2023
- R
- A24
- 1 h 41 m
- 2023
- R
- A24
- 1 h 41 m
Earth Mama
5.8
Where to Watch
Summary A pregnant single mother, with two children in foster care, embraces her Bay Area community as she fights to reclaim her family.
Directed By: Savanah Leaf
Written By: Savanah Leaf
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Bolstered by expert empathy, understated direction, and evocative performances, Earth Mama highlights resilience while whispers of social misogynoir are incorporated without abandon and confronted head-on by the film’s women.
By putting a mirror to Gia and placing us in her feet, shoes or not, Leaf beckons viewers to contemplate how contemporary society fails its Gias every single day, to face how this cycle of poverty continues, and to understand that Gia and women like her can’t conquer it alone.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 13 User Ratings
5.8
38% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
38% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
23% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 13 User Ratings
5.8
38% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
38% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
23% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Earth Mama is an exquisite meditation on the difficulty of being a single black mother trying to reclaim one’s family and preserve the future of one’s unborn child. The film, with its patient, deliberate mise en scene, asks us to endure through the hardship and hopelessness that black mothers face when pitted against the systematic oppression that society and the child protective care system pose.
Savanah Leaf’s brilliance is shown by her ability to build emotion and drama without ever falling victim to cliche. She pulls out tour de force performances from Tia Nomore and Doechii that feel well beyond their age and experience. She effortlessly interweaves magical realism with naturalism, rendering visual poetry that enables us the time and space to reflect and empathize with the complex emotional web of motherhood. The end result is a film that never forces an agenda upon us. Scenes unfold in front of us and allow us to be the judge of who and what determines Gia’s fate. Is it Gia’s personal flaws or the system that batters her down which is ultimately responsible for her inability to parent the kids that she should be entitled to raise?
An American period piece with European sensibilities - Earth Mama feels destined to be helmed as one of the decade’s best independent films. Leaf has a promising, long career ahead of her, and I feel blessed to be in her audience.
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EARTH MAMA is an emotional journey directed and written by Savanah Leaf, originating from the short film "The Heart Still Hums" by Leaf and Taylor Russell. The narrative revolves around Gia, a pregnant single mother brilliantly portrayed by Tia Nomore, as she fights to reunite her family while navigating the challenges of foster care in the Bay Area.
Tia Nomore's lead performance is outstanding, bringing authenticity and depth to Gia, portraying the struggles and determination of a single mother with commendable skill. Nomore's emotional range captivates, making her the driving force behind the film's compelling narrative.
Savanah Leaf deserves commendation for approaching the subject matter with great respect and empathy. The film delves into the complexities of Gia's life and the broader issues surrounding foster care, presenting a narrative that feels grounded and sincere. Leaf's direction, coupled with strong performances from the cast, creates an emotionally resonant experience.
However, EARTH MAMA is not without its flaws. There are moments when the film asks the audience to witness intense scenes, occasionally veering into territory that might have benefited from a subtler touch. The exploration of characters and their challenges, while impactful, can be overwhelming, diminishing the overall effect.
While I acknowledge that my views might be in the minority, I couldn't overlook the film's bleak toll on the audience. The somber tone and intense emotional journey may be too heavy for some viewers, making it a challenging watch. Despite the film's merits, its tendency to be emotionally taxing might not resonate with everyone.
In conclusion, EARTH MAMA is a well-crafted drama with standout performances, particularly from Tia Nomore. Savanah Leaf's empathetic direction adds depth to the narrative. However, the film's inclination to push boundaries and showcase intense moments may be divisive. I appreciate the film's merits, but personally, the emotional weight left me in the minority, unable to fully embrace the film.
Report
In Earth Mama, Savanah Leaf gives us a towering reminder of the women who gave their all for us, their determination and power, the difficulties of staying afloat when you feel like you’re drowning, and how we can’t truly know what other people are struggling with, no matter how hard we try.
On the evidence of the astonishingly-assured debut, Earth Mama, we’ll be seeing work from writer-director Savanah Leaf for many years to come.
Earth Mama is the kind of film that draws you in and keeps you hooked with its powerful storytelling and the layered intimacy within Nomore’s understated performance.
Earth Mama offers no falsely encouraging happy ending, but its clear-eyed humanity nonetheless feels like a balm. In a society that often tries to sweep the poor away so that they’re out of sight, this film encourages us to see — and to care.
Sometimes Leaf asks us to see too much. But Earth Mama is grounded enough and empathetic enough to be worth the bleak toll it exacts.
This is one of those films that leaves me with decidedly mixed feelings. It’s definitely a showcase for writer-director Savanah Leaf, whose considerable artistic sensibilities are clearly apparent in her first feature outing. The same can be said for lead actress Tia Nomore, making her screen debut in a genuinely moving performance. Unfortunately, the vehicle in which their talents are being put to use could stand to be better. This story of the bureaucratic turmoil faced by a single mother in recovery who’s pregnant with her third child (and her first two in foster care) sincerely seeks to evoke viewer empathy for the circumstances she’s enduring. At the same time, though, the story also raises many questions about responsibility (or a lack thereof), an admittedly honest depiction of conditions that are often present in these scenarios that, nevertheless, tends to undercut the pursuit of that aforementioned goal, leaving viewers (like yours truly) confused about what to truly feel. Add to that a somewhat thin narrative that feels padded to fill out the runtime, and one has a picture that comes up short of its objective, despite the efforts of a fine ensemble cast and engaging cinematography. This production’s National Board of Review accolades and Independent Spirit Award nominations aside, Leaf and Nomore genuinely deserve better material to show audiences what they’re capable of. Regrettably, however, this isn’t it.
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Compreendo a necessidade de falar de mães solos, ainda mais sendo preta. Compreendo também o tom intimista e naturalista do longa, que dá certa veracidade ao que é posto em tela, com um ar frio mas ao mesmo tempo muito real, a sensação de abandono da jovem, a desesperança, tudo está bem colocado. Mas sinceramente, faltou gás, faltou consistência. Um material que é recheado de cenas letárgicas, e algumas até meio oníricas na tentativa de representar o psicológico daquela mãe, mas acaba sendo enfadonho.
"Earth mama" vai seguindo a protagonista grávida, e ela já tem mais dois filhos, uma mãe solo que divide a casa com umas amigas numa espécie de cortiço (aqui a vizinhança foi pessimamente representada com homens negros estereotipados, na pegada "marginal", que costumam assediar as moradoras).
A relação da moça é totalmente inconsistente, o roteiro também não faz questão de amenizar suas relações. ela também participa de um grupo de apoio, uma espécie de AA para mães, que também se mostra completamente frágil na narrativa. A base de apoio do serviço social, idem.
Assim, a trama vai se aprofundando quando se abre a possibilidade dela fazer uma "adoção aberta", o que pelo menos salva o filme da mediocridade, pois era algo do qual nunca tinha ouvido falar.
A adoção aberta é um conceito que se refere a um tipo de adoção em que há algum nível de comunicação e contato entre os pais biológicos, adotivos e, em alguns casos, a criança adotada. Este modelo contrasta com a adoção tradicional, na qual os pais biológicos e adotivos mantêm pouco ou nenhum contato após a finalização do processo de adoção.
As características específicas da adoção aberta podem variar amplamente e são determinadas através de acordos feitos entre os pais biológicos e adotivos, muitas vezes mediados por profissionais de adoção ou agências de adoção. E aí que a trama vai ganhando em densidade, pois de fato deve ser terrível para uma mãe se desprender dos filhos, especialmente quando ela quer tê-los, mas as condições não são favoráveis.
Acontece que ela claramente precisa de ajuda, tem um ar depressivo, tem um subemprego, enfim, às vezes me cansa essa pegada "vitimista", e ainda querendo cuidar de um terceiro filho! Ok, entendo aqui também a questão do abandono parental, a falta de perspectiva que se agrava pelo racismo estrutural, etc. No entanto, o filme foca no sofrimento da menina mesmo, não aprofundando as questões sociais importantes (por exemplo, ela comparecendo numa audiência, como se fosse fruto de uma edição mal desenvolvida, com sua fala sofrida sobre ainda ser mãe dos filhos, e depois corta para suas inúmeras cenas de um close fechado). Esta foi a opção do roteiro: exacerbar o sofrimento daquela jovem, de forma mais masoquista possível.
Um filme que poderia ser muito mais, com um tema relevante, mas que se deixou conduzir pelo caminho mais sensacionalista. Uma pena.
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Production Company
A24,
Academy Films,
Film4,
Net-Net Worldwide,
Park Pictures
Release Date Jul 7, 2023
Duration 1 h 41 m
Rating R
Genres
Awards
Black Reel Awards
• 4 Nominations
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
San Francisco International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
