July 20, 2023
FILM: EARTH MAMA
DIRECTED BY: SAVANAH LEAFor
STARRING: TIA NOMORE, ERIKA ALEXANDRA, KETA PRICE
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
With all of the fighting across the country today about abortion and women’s rights to choose, the one perspective that is rarely ever addressed is that of the pregnant woman. Earth Mama begins with a character looking directly into the camera asking people to see things from her perspective for once. That is what is so enlightening about this very raw and intimate film. We get to experience the final months of pregnancy with a young woman who is still undecided about what she wants to do with her unborn child.
Tia Moore stars as that woman, Gia Wilson, who already has two children. They’ve been taken from her care by the courts though and she is only able to see them once a week. The father is not in the picture. Gia is in a program to get herself together before she can have custody of them again. She works for a photo store which seems to have a number of clients on the verge of having children. Gia sees how they interact. She sees the love. However, her limited resources are making it difficult for her to make ends meet. Therein lies the big quandary: Does she give her unborn child up for adoption or does she keep it?
The film provides a very eye-opening look at the difficulties some Black women face when they are pregnant but in the midst of legal issues. As such, writer/director Savanah Leaf creates an almost documentary-like portrait of women in this predicament. It’s a very quiet film shot with many long takes that are far from flashy. The tone of the film is very similar to what was so raw about Eliza Hittman’s 2020 critical hit, Never Rarely Sometimes Always. That film focused on a young woman trying to get an abortion. This time, the main protagonist is far from able to take that option. Leaf’s approach is to not judge the alternatives being considered. Rather she presents them in a very matter of fact manner. Ultimately, it is Gia’s decision here that is the focus.
The script is nicely reflective of all that Gia has to consider. She’s got friends that offer their own opinions, sometimes running contrary to what Gia may feel is best for her. Yet they do provide other insightful perspectives. Interestingly, men are almost completely absent from any of the decisions. They hang outside of Gia’s home without much to offer. We don’t know if any of these men contributed to the pregnancy but Leaf’s approach here is to purposely leave out the man’s opinion since he doesn’t seem to be involved in caring for Gia or her unborn child at this time.
All of the primary actors are very good. Tia Nomore gives an exceptional and down to earth performance as Gia. She’s subtle and filled with emotions that are just under the surface ready to boil. She is also surrounded by a host of other actors that are equally sensitive in their deliveries. This is not a film about flash but about real women making tough decisions. Yet it is THEIR decisions that matter most here. Not Congress. Not a bunch of white men. These women are contemplating what’s best for their own lives and what’s best for their unborn children.
Earth Mama opens tomorrow at the Gene Siskel Center. It will roll out beyond that on July 28th.
FILM: EARTH MAMA
DIRECTED BY: SAVANAH LEAFor
STARRING: TIA NOMORE, ERIKA ALEXANDRA, KETA PRICE
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
With all of the fighting across the country today about abortion and women’s rights to choose, the one perspective that is rarely ever addressed is that of the pregnant woman. Earth Mama begins with a character looking directly into the camera asking people to see things from her perspective for once. That is what is so enlightening about this very raw and intimate film. We get to experience the final months of pregnancy with a young woman who is still undecided about what she wants to do with her unborn child.
Tia Moore stars as that woman, Gia Wilson, who already has two children. They’ve been taken from her care by the courts though and she is only able to see them once a week. The father is not in the picture. Gia is in a program to get herself together before she can have custody of them again. She works for a photo store which seems to have a number of clients on the verge of having children. Gia sees how they interact. She sees the love. However, her limited resources are making it difficult for her to make ends meet. Therein lies the big quandary: Does she give her unborn child up for adoption or does she keep it?
The film provides a very eye-opening look at the difficulties some Black women face when they are pregnant but in the midst of legal issues. As such, writer/director Savanah Leaf creates an almost documentary-like portrait of women in this predicament. It’s a very quiet film shot with many long takes that are far from flashy. The tone of the film is very similar to what was so raw about Eliza Hittman’s 2020 critical hit, Never Rarely Sometimes Always. That film focused on a young woman trying to get an abortion. This time, the main protagonist is far from able to take that option. Leaf’s approach is to not judge the alternatives being considered. Rather she presents them in a very matter of fact manner. Ultimately, it is Gia’s decision here that is the focus.
The script is nicely reflective of all that Gia has to consider. She’s got friends that offer their own opinions, sometimes running contrary to what Gia may feel is best for her. Yet they do provide other insightful perspectives. Interestingly, men are almost completely absent from any of the decisions. They hang outside of Gia’s home without much to offer. We don’t know if any of these men contributed to the pregnancy but Leaf’s approach here is to purposely leave out the man’s opinion since he doesn’t seem to be involved in caring for Gia or her unborn child at this time.
All of the primary actors are very good. Tia Nomore gives an exceptional and down to earth performance as Gia. She’s subtle and filled with emotions that are just under the surface ready to boil. She is also surrounded by a host of other actors that are equally sensitive in their deliveries. This is not a film about flash but about real women making tough decisions. Yet it is THEIR decisions that matter most here. Not Congress. Not a bunch of white men. These women are contemplating what’s best for their own lives and what’s best for their unborn children.
Earth Mama opens tomorrow at the Gene Siskel Center. It will roll out beyond that on July 28th.