Mother's Elling

2003 1h 18m NO

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 39

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Elling has lived with his mother all his life. Mom is the practical one, while Elling ponders the more theoretical aspects of life. He spends his time in their apartment reading books and looking at the neighbours through the living room window. Elling doesn't seem to need to be around others like most people. That's why Elling is less than enthusiastic when his mother suddenly decides to take her son on a beach vacation to Spain. Reluctantly, Elling agrees. After all, a lady at her age needs a good man by her side. But what Elling refuses to realize is that Mom is not only old, but also sick. Very sick. On her last vacation she tries to get Elling to see that life is bigger than their living room.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Per Christian Ellefsen
Elling
Grete Nordrå
Mor
Helge Reiss
Bugge-Høvik
Christin Borge
Mag
Per Schaanning
Georg
Lena Meieran
Grete Iversen
Ane Dahl Torp
Flyvertinne
Erland Bakker
Sikkerhetsvakt

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Eva Isaksen
Writers: Axel Hellstenius
Languages: Norwegian
Countries: Norway

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Elling Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Eva Isaksen, shot by Rolv Håan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lars Lillo-Stenberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pål Gengenbach shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Per Christian Ellefsen and Grete Nordrå and Helge Reiss carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0368045 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Eva Isaksen directs. Rolv Håan behind the camera. Lars Lillo-Stenberg scores. Pål Gengenbach cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Norway. Dialogue in Norwegian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 23 years ago.
3Part of the "Elling Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Eva Isaksen, shot by Rolv Håan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Lars Lillo-Stenberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Pål Gengenbach shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Per Christian Ellefsen and Grete Nordrå and Helge Reiss carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0368045 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 39 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.