SPOILERS The children of an Asian woman return to the family home to clear it out after her death. Lots of bickering. As the kids pack up her belongings, we get an idea of Mom's interests and her life. The daughter is obsessed with the books, and gets bogged down reading the notes that Mom wrote. There are some surprises as they go through her things, naturally. Otherwise, it moves pretty slowly. The daughter is pretty self-absorbed, and the son keeps reminding her that he has been taking care of Mom all along. Sis is either a giant, emotional wreck, or maybe she's just over-acting. When they are looking in the windows, spying on the neighbors, it gets annoying, and I'm not sure why the daughter is so concerned with the photos they found on Mom's computer anyway. That part of the film was like an episode of Scooby Doo, where they are running around in circles. Pretty good, for the most part. They kind of make much ado about nothing, but I think the writers were looking for some central conflict to introduce, although the one they chose was really no big deal... they just kind of made it a big deal. an entertaining hour and a half. Written by J. Mei and J. Chan. Directed by J. Chan. Currently showing on netflix.
10 Reviews
Important topics, lacks continuity.
namelessfarmfc18 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Production could have used a director of continuity to help with the segways and transitions between scenes. Writing was sub par. The tone was needing to stay sober which it did but characters were written too flat. Acting was o.k.considering.
Director dealt with many important topics, intimacy, death, family, coping mechanisms, life as elder, and sexuality.
We see a "picture" of male anatomy, which is a break through it seems. Also sheds light on the younger generations loss of connection and the anxiety and angst it produces, and the new judgmentalism "reverse discrimination" and delusions that it so easily descends into . When often it is harmless, or can even be healthy, loving, or care.
If this was college project or a low budget first attempt. It worked.
Director dealt with many important topics, intimacy, death, family, coping mechanisms, life as elder, and sexuality.
We see a "picture" of male anatomy, which is a break through it seems. Also sheds light on the younger generations loss of connection and the anxiety and angst it produces, and the new judgmentalism "reverse discrimination" and delusions that it so easily descends into . When often it is harmless, or can even be healthy, loving, or care.
If this was college project or a low budget first attempt. It worked.
Learning your mother was someone other than just your mother
Aziraphale61522 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this film at a festival, and it's one of those films that really can make you laugh and cry. Jen and Kyle are siblings with differences - Kyle stayed by his mother's side while she was dying, Jen did not. They drive together to their mother's rural home to clear it out. Shortly after they arrive, while going through their mother's computer files, they stumble across three "interesting" pictures. What follows is a comic farce, in which they're joined by Jen's boyfriend Doug and friend Mika, to track down the answer to the question that the pictures raise. It's a well-written, well-directed film, beautifully photographed and scored, with solid performances across the board.
the OMG my mother had sex movie
saccitygrl20 February 2016
An hour and half of watching two grumpy children bicker and basically grumble the entire time they are dealing with the task of cleaning out their recently dead mothers home. The plot climax (sorry about the pun) is the discovery of some explicit pics of their deceased mother on their mothers computer. This 'revelation' is followed by more grumbling mixed with mortification that the mother had the audacity to have sex. No character development. No context for any of the characters grumpy demeanors beyond (perhaps) the death of the mother (although they don't seem too broken up about it), and the one sibling having resentment over having to care for the mother before her passing. If this is what passes for meaningful life experiences in the lives of hipsters we are all doomed. In a way, its like a really twisted, shallow version of The Big Chill (which was somewhat shallow too).
Catch this one while it's still on streaming Netflix
The_late_Buddy_Ryan21 February 2016
An under-the-radar first feature with a great cast (incl. Teyonah Parris of "Chi- Raq," before she got famous for not getting an Oscar nom) and a pretty solid script. I felt like some of the indie atmospherics could have been cut to make room for a little backstory--maybe a line or two of not-too-obvious dialogue about what Kyle and Jen have been doing all their lives; do we ever find out what Professor Wu was a professor of, btw?
Still, I liked the way the relationship between the two squabbly sibs is fleshed out in all sorts of subtle ways--Jen makes an awkward joke about they're being "racially profiled" as the only two Asians in a rural diner; Kyle shows how much he admires his younger hipster sister by trying the same line on someone else, even after it bombs the first time... Other comedic touches are sparingly but skillfully applied. Big ups to Lucas Dixon, as Jen's doughy boyfriend, for one perfect line reading ("We should get pies that are really... good!"). Wait for it!
My one serious criticism--too bad that w/d J. P. Chan seems to have felt that the tension that sustains the wispy plot could only be resolved with a farcical "action" sequence that spoils the mood a bit (another reviewer mentioned "Scooby-Doo"; I was thinking "Goonies"). The rest of the film is charming and quite relatable. I was initially curious about "A Picture of You" because my bro and I went through a similar ordeal a couple of years ago, in a much less tidy house (didn't Prof. Wu even have an attic to fill up with useless crap?). Unlike a lot of crowd-funded indies that turn up on Netflix, this one has a real emotional core to it.
Still, I liked the way the relationship between the two squabbly sibs is fleshed out in all sorts of subtle ways--Jen makes an awkward joke about they're being "racially profiled" as the only two Asians in a rural diner; Kyle shows how much he admires his younger hipster sister by trying the same line on someone else, even after it bombs the first time... Other comedic touches are sparingly but skillfully applied. Big ups to Lucas Dixon, as Jen's doughy boyfriend, for one perfect line reading ("We should get pies that are really... good!"). Wait for it!
My one serious criticism--too bad that w/d J. P. Chan seems to have felt that the tension that sustains the wispy plot could only be resolved with a farcical "action" sequence that spoils the mood a bit (another reviewer mentioned "Scooby-Doo"; I was thinking "Goonies"). The rest of the film is charming and quite relatable. I was initially curious about "A Picture of You" because my bro and I went through a similar ordeal a couple of years ago, in a much less tidy house (didn't Prof. Wu even have an attic to fill up with useless crap?). Unlike a lot of crowd-funded indies that turn up on Netflix, this one has a real emotional core to it.
Woof
holdfastholdsteady12 October 2020
Excellent Film
randeroid-482-41104923 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Flawed, yet moving and a step forward in mature content. The characters are terribly naive and immature about their mother's sexuality (just like the film censors)... and everything else (just like the film censors). Perhaps this is an accurate portrayal for some; I want to believe otherwise. Also, you can barely make out two of the three critical pics in the film!!! How sexually repressed do the censors want us to be?
One other uncomfortable moment was when the kids gave all of their mother's stuff away. People who do not care do this too. Will all of my stuff be thrown away to hasten erasing my existence? Egad.
I can see where this nonsense could turn off viewers.
Even so, this film deals with the death of a parent and the reality of our sexuality. Yes, your Mom is going to die and so are you. This film is not in denial about that. Yes, your Mom and normal people have recreational sex, sex, and more sex ... and they enjoy it. They engage in many adventurous romps and empty-nesters over 50, who are not brainwashed, get a VIP pass to do anything consensual. The true evil lies with the control freaks (like the censors), who want to mischaracterize sex and to reframe morality to suit their timidity. It is hard to believe the retentive censors allowed this film to pass the gauntlet. That is why the topics are so fresh.
One other uncomfortable moment was when the kids gave all of their mother's stuff away. People who do not care do this too. Will all of my stuff be thrown away to hasten erasing my existence? Egad.
I can see where this nonsense could turn off viewers.
Even so, this film deals with the death of a parent and the reality of our sexuality. Yes, your Mom is going to die and so are you. This film is not in denial about that. Yes, your Mom and normal people have recreational sex, sex, and more sex ... and they enjoy it. They engage in many adventurous romps and empty-nesters over 50, who are not brainwashed, get a VIP pass to do anything consensual. The true evil lies with the control freaks (like the censors), who want to mischaracterize sex and to reframe morality to suit their timidity. It is hard to believe the retentive censors allowed this film to pass the gauntlet. That is why the topics are so fresh.
I don't even know where to begin......
redproton8819 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, I love small indie films and and truly appreciate slowly paced films, but this mess has the pulse of a corpse.
The premise is that estranged siblings (brother and sister), travel from New York City to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the home of their recently deceased mother. While there, they make a discovery that turns their world upside-down.
To put it simply, this movie was awful. Horrible, flat and unconvincing acting all around. The "discovery" turning their world upside down is beyond ridiculous. They freak out over 3 images (which you can barely make out) that indicates their mother had a sex life. Wow! Shocking!
Making it even worse was how little emotion was shown from either leads regarding the death of their mother. You'd think they were packing up some dead stranger's house.
Very disappointing and I'm sorry I wasted an hour and 20 minutes of my time.
The premise is that estranged siblings (brother and sister), travel from New York City to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the home of their recently deceased mother. While there, they make a discovery that turns their world upside-down.
To put it simply, this movie was awful. Horrible, flat and unconvincing acting all around. The "discovery" turning their world upside down is beyond ridiculous. They freak out over 3 images (which you can barely make out) that indicates their mother had a sex life. Wow! Shocking!
Making it even worse was how little emotion was shown from either leads regarding the death of their mother. You'd think they were packing up some dead stranger's house.
Very disappointing and I'm sorry I wasted an hour and 20 minutes of my time.
Relentlessly boring vanity film.
suite923 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Three Acts:
The initial tableaux: Brother Kyle and sister Jen travel from New York City to clean up details in rural Pennsylvania after the death of their mother. Kyle and Jen are estranged at best. Nothing goes all that smoothly as they traverse the house room by room.
Delineation of conflicts: Kyle took care of Judy as her health declined and as his divorce from Sara was in grim stages. Jen skipped most of that. Kyle does not forget, and Jen basically does not care. Kyle ends up packing all the house except the library since the self- involved Jen wants to look at every page in every book, and there are hundreds of books: Judy was a local college professor in some sort of humanities discipline.
Judy was the only Asian in many square miles of only blue-eyed Northern Europeans. Both Kyle and Jen make the joke 'Did you just racially profile me?' when the locals (who all loved Judy) easily identify them as Judy's children. This is tiresome after a while. Plus there was more of that hierarchy of sort of language.
Kyle is resentful of Jen's narcissism, and does not much care for her friends.
The siblings see some quite personal photos of their mother on her computer. First they want to keep it quiet, but then Jen gets the strong urge to find out who the other party might be.
Resolution: The brother and sister patch things up a bit, and they know a bit more about their mother.
The initial tableaux: Brother Kyle and sister Jen travel from New York City to clean up details in rural Pennsylvania after the death of their mother. Kyle and Jen are estranged at best. Nothing goes all that smoothly as they traverse the house room by room.
Delineation of conflicts: Kyle took care of Judy as her health declined and as his divorce from Sara was in grim stages. Jen skipped most of that. Kyle does not forget, and Jen basically does not care. Kyle ends up packing all the house except the library since the self- involved Jen wants to look at every page in every book, and there are hundreds of books: Judy was a local college professor in some sort of humanities discipline.
Judy was the only Asian in many square miles of only blue-eyed Northern Europeans. Both Kyle and Jen make the joke 'Did you just racially profile me?' when the locals (who all loved Judy) easily identify them as Judy's children. This is tiresome after a while. Plus there was more of that hierarchy of sort of language.
Kyle is resentful of Jen's narcissism, and does not much care for her friends.
The siblings see some quite personal photos of their mother on her computer. First they want to keep it quiet, but then Jen gets the strong urge to find out who the other party might be.
Resolution: The brother and sister patch things up a bit, and they know a bit more about their mother.
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