I Remember Mama (1948)

I Remember Mama is the type of film that people mean when they talk about how Hollywood made "Family Values" films back in the good old days. Director George Stevens was occasionally taken to sentimentality in even his most dramatic films, and here, if no different, it is at least more appropriate. The film is impeccably cast, particular Irene Dunne and Barbara Bel Geddes as the title matriarch and her daughter. Interestingly, Bel Geddes would go on to portray one of American culture's most indomitable matriarchs on the long-running television series Dallas. This is another excellent example of how films centered on women became increasingly important in the post-WWII era. Nicholas Musuraca's cinematography captures the feel of turn-of-the-century San Francisco, and the production values are adequate without being showy -- somewhat better than average for an RKO picture from this era. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide