Mother's Pride

A comedy about a failing pub, a divided community and a grieving family whose lives are changed by brewing real ale and entering the Great British Beer Awards.

Very much in the vein of the “Fisherman’s Friends” family dramas, this one brings handsome “Cal” (Jonno Davies) back to his English West Country home after three years absence. He had hit the big time as a singer-songwriter then absconded - pretty much without trace, and so his return isn’t universally welcomed. Just to add to his troubles, the now penniless musician discovers that his dad (Martin Clunes) and brother “Jake” (James Buckley) are presiding over a family pub that can’t even afford to pay for it’s beer supplies and the gloating “Pritchard” (Luke Treadaway) can’t wait to snap it up for a song and add it to his industrial scale portfolio of fake Tudor gastros. "Cal” decides that the only solution is for them to brew their way out of their predicament so allied with his niece “Romy” (Lana Moorcroft) he attempts to resurrect his late grandfather's skills for real ale making and also to pry his erstwhile girlfriend “Abi” (Gabriella Wilde) from the arms of his not so neighbourly nemesis. Scene set, and with some gentle ribbing of the brewing community and of some of their own local traditions, this quite amiably entertains in a predicable fashion for ninety minutes. Sure, you can see some of the gag punchlines from space, and there’s not really any jeopardy about it’s conclusion, but Mark Addy adds a bit of cheery richness with a “Paxman” who reminded me a little of Stanley Holloway’s enigmatic “Valentine” from “The Titfield Thunderbolt” (1953) and the child’s eye view from Moorcroft also helps to raise the odd smile, too. It’s the kind of light-hearted cinema that Brits do fine, so if you are looking to switch off and take a look at a slice of bucolic life topped off with some eye candy; the most curious rendition of “D.I.S.C.O.” you are ever likely to watch - all whilst recovering from having 8kg of sugar put in your barrel of beer, then you ought not to leave the cinema disappointed.