Todo sobre mi madre (1999)

Director:

Pedro Almodóvar

Writer:

Pedro Almodóvar (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 1999 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Part of every woman is a mother/actress/saint/sinner. And part of every man is a woman. (English trailer)

Plot:

Young Esteban want to become a writer and also to discover the identity of his father, carefully concealed by the mother Manuela.

Plot Keywords:

Transvestite | Actress | Personal Assistant | El Salvador | Single Mother

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 47 wins & 31 nominations

Cast

Cecilia Roth	...	Manuela
Marisa Paredes	...	Huma Rojo
Candela Peña	...	Nina
Antonia San Juan	...	Agrado
Penélope Cruz	...	Hermana Rosa
Rosa Maria Sardà	...	Madre de Rosa (as Rosa María Sardá)
Fernando Fernán Gómez	...	Padre de Rosa
Toni Cantó	...	Lola
Eloy Azorín	...	Esteban
Carlos Lozano	...	Mario
Fernando Guillén	...	Doctor en 'Un tranvía llamado Deseo'
Manuel Morón	...	Doctor 1
José Luis Torrijo	...	Doctor 2
Juan José Otegui	...	Ginecólogo
Carmen Balagué

Also Known As:

All About My Mother (Europe: English title) (UK) (USA)
Tout sur ma mère (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality including strong sexual dialogue, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Spain | France

Language:

Spanish | Catalan | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:T | Spain:18 | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Trivia:

Agrado's monologue was based on a real life event. When the electronic system of an Argentinian theater failed, the director suspended the show. Actress Lola Membrives decided to give the news to the audience and make them an offer: if they'd stay, they could listen to the narration of her life.

Quotes:

Huma Rojo: But can you act?
Manuela: I can lie very well, and I'm used to improvising.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Miao Miao (2008)

Soundtrack:

Gorrión

Dignity

What a genius Almodovar is! Who else could take such esoteric material and make it not only enjoyable, but relatable. It takes a lot of chutzpah for a male director to swan dive into the gulf of womanhood (I can't believe I just wrote that) and emerge with such truth, HUMAN truth. While the characters of this film seem to represent certain female archetypes, they still flow organically through the ingenious plot. Almodovar shows us that any taboo subject can be tackled without it being exploited when it is done with a compassionate heart. The sheer WARMTH of this movie is what makes it a stunning success. The performances in this film are unforgettable. Cecilia Roth is so dazzling and real, and heartbreaking. But only a genius like Almodovar can break our hearts but still give us hope.