Mommy Budget
Drama2h 18mUpdated
Synopsis
Forty-six year old Diane Després - "Die" - has been widowed for three years. Considered white trash by many, Die does whatever she needs, including strutting her body in front of male employers who will look, to make an honest living. That bread-winning ability is affected when she makes the decision to remove her only offspring, fifteen year old Steve Després, from her previously imposed institutionalization, one step below juvenile detention. She institutionalized him shortly following her husband's death due to Steve's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and his violent outbursts. He was just kicked out of the latest in a long line of facilities for setting fire to the cafeteria, in turn injuring another boy. She made this decision to deinstitutionalize him as she didn't like the alternative, sending him into more restrictive juvenile detention from which he would probably never be rehabilitated. However, with this deinstitutionalization, she has to take care of him which means only being able to do home based work. Despite they always yelling expletives at each other and Steve sometimes demonstrating those violent tendencies toward her, Die and Steve truly do love each other, his emotions which are sometimes manifested as an Oedipus complex especially as he seems to need her complete attention most specifically when it is being directed at possible male suitors. Their lives, both individually and as a family, are affected with the entrance of two of their neighbors. The first is Paul, a lawyer, who does have that sexual interest in Die as he tries to help Steve through his legal problems. The second and more important is Kyla, who lives across the street with her husband Patrick and their adolescent daughter, they who are in transit in their life to wherever Patrick's job will take them. Kyla is a high school teacher on sabbatical as she deals with her own emotional issues, which are manifested in stuttering whenever she feels incapable of dealing with her life. Kyla may find that she needs the Després as much as they need her.
What is the budget of Mommy?
"Mommy," a drama released in 2014, was directed by Xavier Dolan and stars Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clément. The production budget was $4,900,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of its era.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:
- Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
- Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
- Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
- Filming & Locations: Mommy was filmed in Longueuil, Quebec.
What were the major cost factors in Mommy?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Mommy."
- Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
- Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
How Does Mommy's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $4,900,000, Mommy sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Come and See (1985): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $20,929,648
- Cinema Paradiso (1988): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $35,962,062
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985): Budget $5,000,000 , Gross $502,758
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $5,380,118
- A Separation (2011): Budget $5,000,000, Worldwide Gross $24,426,169
The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Mommy Box Office Performance
"Mommy" earned $3,494,070 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $4,900,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.
A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Mommy," that break-even threshold was roughly $9,800,000. With worldwide earnings of $3,494,070, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.
- Production Budget: $4,900,000
- Worldwide Gross: $3,494,070
- Net Return: −$1,405,930
- ROI: approximately -28.7%
At -28.7%, "Mommy" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.
Mommy Production History
Mommy was filmed in Longueuil, Quebec. Dolan said that when filming, the actors and crew were often rewriting their lines. In casting actresses Anne Dorval and Suzanne Clément, whom Dolan had worked with before, he assigned them roles that he felt were the opposite of what each had previously played.
Awards and Recognition
58 wins & 65 nominations total
- Jury Prize
- Prix Luc-Perreault
- César Award for Best Foreign Film
Critical Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 89%, with an average score of 7.9/10 based on 130 reviews; the site's consensus states: "As challenging as it is rewarding, Mommy finds writer-director Xavier Dolan taking another impressive step forward". On Metacritic, the film holds an average score of 74, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews" in accordance with the website's standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Mommy (2014)?
The production budget was $4,900,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,450,000 - $3,920,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $7,350,000 - $8,820,000.
How much did Mommy (2014) earn at the box office?
Mommy grossed $3,494,070 domestic, totaling $3,494,070 worldwide.
Was Mommy (2014) profitable?
The film did not break even theatrically, earning $3,494,070 against an estimated $12,250,000 needed. Ancillary revenue may have improved the picture.
What were the biggest costs in producing Mommy?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clément, Antoine Olivier Pilon); talent compensation, authentic period production design, and meticulous post-production.
How does Mommy's budget compare to similar drama films?
At $4,900,000, Mommy is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2010s ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Come and See (1985, $5,000,000); Cinema Paradiso (1988, $5,000,000); Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985, $5,000,000).
Did Mommy (2014) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What was the return on investment (ROI) for Mommy?
The theatrical ROI was -28.7%, calculated as ($3,494,070 − $4,900,000) ÷ $4,900,000 × 100. This measures gross revenue against production budget only - it does not account for P&A or exhibitor shares.
What awards did Mommy (2014) win?
58 wins & 65 nominations total.
Who directed Mommy and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Xavier Dolan, written by Xavier Dolan, shot by André Turpin, with music by Eduardo Noya Schreus, edited by Xavier Dolan.
Where was Mommy filmed?
Mommy was filmed in Canada. Mommy was filmed in Longueuil, Quebec. Dolan said that when filming, the actors and crew were often rewriting their lines. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Mommy
Official Trailer
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