Mothers are not born, mothers become mothers. What is the maternal instinct? Is it predetermined for any woman or is it necessary to acquire this feeling? It happens that a non-native person is much closer to the one who, as they say, created us for this light. Cinema has repeatedly released films whose storylines either took as a basis or touched on this topic. Few films managed to convey to the viewer the meaning, but there were also those that still fall into the soul, for example, such a film as “Min and Bill”.
Synopsis Min and Bill live in a small port town, minding their own affairs and sorting out their problems. Bill works hard on a fishing boat, while Min does household chores, while trying to cope with the dashing behavior of Nancy, a young girl under the care of Min. Min always cared deeply about Nancy, although she never intentionally expressed her warm feelings. But motherly love takes over, and Min becomes increasingly attached to Nancy. Suddenly, the situation is overshadowed by the unexpected appearance of the girl’s mother.
Game actors The actors were all praise, because the characters just came to life on the screen. Of course, the most memorable duet comedy actress Marie Dressler, who performed Min, and the legendary Wallace Beery, who played Bill. If Beery embodied on the screen a killer drunkard who, despite the craving for affairs on the side, still loves and respects Min, then Dressler created the image of not just a strong and persistent heroine. Her Min is a brave woman who deliberately suppresses all warm feelings, because life has caused her too much pain, but still she allowed the release of maternal feelings that gave her the courage not to be afraid to sacrifice her own freedom for the sake of Nancy’s happiness.
Directorship Despite the short timeline of the film, I can confidently say that director George W. Hill has done his best. In "Mine and Bill" he managed to combine the genre of lyrical comedy and family drama. And as the comedy part of the film was really funny, and the dramatic touched to the core. If we give an example of funny scenes, then I remember an episode with a trip in a boat, when Min and Nancy accidentally found themselves in a boat, turning on the engine and naturally having no experience in driving a ship. For this reason, they had to drive all over the harbor, barely evading obstacles. Dramatic, of course, was the scene with the murder of her own mother Nancy, ready to ruin the whole life of her daughter, when Min was simply forced to go to this measure.
Scenario The story may seem simple, but this one is not. Yes, of course, the picture shows an ordinary life situation that can happen to anyone. But the authors of the script focus not on the conflict or intrigue between the characters, but the inner world of the main character. From the very beginning, she appears before us as a strong and strong-willed woman, ready to do desperate things, judging by the funny fight between Min and Bill, when she almost hacked him with an ax, catching him infidelity with a prostitute, who is Nancy’s real mother. As for the situation with Nancy, this is where the main drama is swirling. Throughout the film, Min does not show the girl any feelings except rudeness, because she does not want Nancy to be attached to her, and therefore, Min is attached to Nancy. She sends her to an orphanage school, which for the first time brings her suffering from the lack of an adopted daughter. Then she lets Nancy into life, hoping that she will find her happiness. However, this idyll is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a mother who wants to destroy her daughter’s life, because she believes that Nancy is not worthy of happiness because her mother was never happy. Min is furious and leads to the realization that she really loves Nancy as her own daughter, for whom she is ready to give her life.
Result It is a pity that we have not found a manufacturing company in our country that could voice and release the film “Min and Bill” on DVD, because, in my opinion, this is a very strong picture that carries a rich meaning, and the plot of which will touch you to the core. Therefore, I highly recommend this film to everyone as much as possible.
10 out of 10