Dona Herlinda and Her Son
by Jaime Humberto Hermosillo
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Arturo Meza, Guadalupe Del Toro, Gustavo Mezza, Lucha Villa, Marco Antonio Trevi?oDirector: Jaime Humberto Hermosillo
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-04-30
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Vanguard Cinema
Movie Reviews of Dona Herlinda and Her Son
Movie Review: A Really Good Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
"Dona Herlinda and her Son"
A Really Good Movie
Amos Lassen
I really love it when I enjoy a movie from start to finish and "Dona Herlinda and her Son' is one of those movies. Now Strand Releasing a new digitally remastered DVD of the film and that is wonderful news because the older disk is flawed and takes some of the fun away from the film.
Here is a compassionate satire on both appearances and acceptance. The film was originally made in 1985 and looking at it now, I realized how far ahead of its time that it was.
Guadalupe del Toro is the heroine as she plays Rodolfo's mother and she invites his friend Ramon to live with them in their large home in Guadalajara and explains that her son has a large bedroom and she insists that Ramon is a member of the family. In fact when Rodolfo marries and leaves the house, she convinces Ramon to stay on. Even with the marriage, everyone knows that the two men are lovers. Herlinda pretends that she does not know this even when she walks in on them being intimate. She is the one that pushes the men together.
I think what makes the movie so endearing is its openness and sincerity and the viewer must overlook the flaws and sit back and enjoy it for what it is--a wonderful love story. It is well thought out and original. I imagine it was quite scandalous in Mexico when it first came out because homosexuality was only spoken about there in whispers, The situation that the movie presents is universal--it just happens to take place in Mexico. I think the camera work is amazing and the movie gives us a look at how homosexuality was regarded in Mexico.
Dona Herlinda is special; there are not and have not been many women like her. She is a widow who only wants her son to be happy. The fact that her son is gay and will not give her grandchildren is not a problem for her. Rodolfo does whatever his mother says and she projects a kind of na?ve innocence but still manages to commandeer her son's actions without his realizing it. The gay relationship is given to us in a warm way with no value judgments and we see that happiness is the most important attribute of family. We also get a commentary on Mexican society.
All of the cast turn in wonderful performances in this movie which very probably be regarded as one of the milestones in gay cinema.
Summary of Dona Herlinda and Her Son
Do?a Herlinda is a delightfully singular movie character, a doting widow who wants it all--a happy son, grandchildren, and the respect of her neighbor--and quietly, lovingly manipulates the world around her to get it. Her devoted son, Rodolfo, is gay, but that's no problem: she practically adopts Ramon, his young lover, and even moves him into their house ("Rodolfo's bedroom is big," she smiles with convincing innocence) while simultaneously arranging for Ramon's marriage. Writer-director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo has nothing but respect for his characters, especially Guadalupe Del Toro's sweet and sly Do?a Herlinda, a woman who projects na?ve innocence while determinedly stage-managing her unconventional family unit. In other hands this might be a recipe for tragedy, but Hermosillo spins it into a lovingly subversive comedy of tolerance, acceptance, and keeping up appearances. --Sean AxmakerArt House & International DVD Video
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