Another Mother's Day

In our globalised world, thanks to differing dates in the UK and the US, the second Sunday in May has become a day that everyone on this side of the pond jerks up in a panic upon seeing a stateside celebrity tweet a Mother’s Day message, thinking we have forgotten to send even a box of chocolates to our poor old mum before we remember that the end of March is the day we all fight for a reservation at the Toby Carvery and florists across the nation count their bank notes like Tony Montana. The heart behind Another Mother’s Day applies worldwide, however, with admiration for our mother being one of those universal human connectors that we can all appreciate.

 

The music video features the vocals of Jennifer Blain and features stock footage of mothers and their children from all over the world and of various ages and backgrounds. Created by YouTuber Tweak Unique, and arranged by Ira Sakolsky, the film is an amusing and heartfelt look at motherhood – including the unappreciated trials and tests that mothers have to go through.

 

The vocal performance of Blain is impressive, echoing the vocal stylings of Idina Menzel. Her voice carries a strength that is both endearing and also on the verge of bursting into maniacal outrage to realise the often-contradictory reality of being a mother – that you can have immense love for your child whilst they play the most difficult and frustrating role in your life. The lyrics make reference to common examples of this, such as the singer’s mother feeding the child who has just bit her. Blain’s powerful performance means that strength, femininity and motherhood are woven together unbreakably throughout the video.

 

However aside from a kind heart, there is a lack of real depth to the film that means it never really penetrates emotionally beyond surface level. The film often threatens to veer into interesting spaces, such as exploring the mother’s frustration and resentment in a more complex form than it ends up doing. Yet it pulls back into the sickly sweetness of appreciation – which is admirable, but unengaging.

Stock imagery and home videos make up the video itself, generally to provide visual realisation of the lyrical content. The director’s use of their own family is a welcome and wholesome touch, validating the emotional themes of the film. The stock imagery (as it so often does) feels inauthentic, overly vibrant and stylised, and disconnected to the more intricate messaging of the film. As a lower-budget project it is forgivable that it is utilised, but it definitely detracts from the video.

 

Another Mother’s Day is a music video version of a Mother’s Day Hallmark card. It has heart and kind presentation, and I’ve no doubt your mother will appreciate it (not as much as a phone call though guys…). But there’s little else to it beyond sentiment, lacking depth or real personality.