“Mother!” is a psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Jennifer Lawrence. The controversial film’s story revolved around how a married couple’s home is greatly disturbed after uninvited guests arrive.
The film was mostly praised by critics for its acting, particularly from Lawrence and Michelle Pfeiffer. However, “Mother!” was also criticized for its confusing and unconventional story, and most audiences agreed. As of this writing, the film was unable to recoup its 30 million dollar budget, only earning 25 million dollars at the box office.
If you haven’t watched the film and plan on doing so, here are a few interesting facts about “Mother!” that you need to know.
Aronofsky only took five days to write the script for ‘Mother!’
Aronofsky is best known for his work in such films as “Black Swan” and “Noah” and took him ten years and 20 years, respectively, before he could finish the screenplay. Which is why it’s very interesting to know that Aronofsky only took him only five days to write the script for the film “Mother!”
He spoke to reporters about his sentiments before the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival. He said that he experienced a lot of rage and anger at that time and wanted to use those emotions to his advantage. As a result, Aronofsky managed to finish the first draft of the script in a mere five days.
Jennifer Lawrence had her own ‘happy place’ during filming
During one particular scene, Lawrence started hyperventilating, and production had to be put on hold so that the actress could be put on oxygen. Apparently, Lawrence hyperventilated so much that she dislocated a rib.
Because of this incident, the crew made Lawrence her very own “happy place” where she is met with a lot of gumballs and clips of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” that play on a constant loop on TV.
The purpose of this room was to make Lawrence stay focused and relaxed during filming.
‘Mother!’ was booed at the premiere
The film's story was so unconventional that it divided audiences; people either loved the movie or hated it. This was clearly shown when “Mother!” premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it received cheers and boos from people that attended.
According to Variety, “Mother!” was mostly inspired by the movie, “The Exterminating Angel,” which was a surrealist film written and directed by Luis Buňuel. The film was about a group of people who were unable to leave a mansion where they met for dinner.