She preferred him as a "polite" boy in a coma rather than a man with his own opinions and his own natural desire to date women.
And in the end she actually asked and received permission to stop the drug treatment and return him to his coma.
She knew that he was fighting his condition and quite frankly she wasn't on his side.
Contrast her to Forrest Gumps mother who always believed in her son and always encouraged him to do his best out there in the world.
You must have missed that part in the movie when Robin Williams says "he was in catatonic then" ie in a coma; and the mom responds - I mean "when he was a boy." In other words, Deniro didn't "act out" when he was a boy - Robin Williams misinterpreted her comment initially to mean "he's too much trouble now that he's awake"
shareI sort of agree with the original poster. The mother seemed very ungrateful for the progress that had been made. I mean, at least her son was able to experience adulthood for a while.
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jonchampman15, thanks for your comment, as opposed to what the original poster said - why do people always seem find it necessary to use profanity?
The problem with our understanding Leonard's Mom's feelings, as Mom said to Dr. Sayer on his first encounter with her, "If you had a child, then you would know..."
I volunteered at a facility where a child with ALD (see imdb board for the movie "Lorenzo's Oil"), was visited by his Mom over a very long period of time, and similar to Leonard's Mother, she would visit day in, day out, even as her child grew older - a Mother's devotion to her child.
If her child had suddenly recovered, similar to Leonard, sure, Mom would be glad to see him healthy and happy again, but, she perhaps would also feel a sense of loss, since she would no longer be as much use to him as she had been, so, it's not a matter of being what you said she was (which isn't true at all), but, it's a matter of human nature.
I did see that happen to other parents - they feel so needed all of the time, then, suddenly are no longer needed, at least on that level...
Sadly, in most real life cases and the ones I did witness, this happens not because the patient suddenly recovers, but, because the patient passes away, and, that constant care is suddenly no longer needed...
Did Leonard's Mom ever say, "I wish you were still comatose!" - of course not, since no loving parent would ever say or desire that for their child, but, in this case (as with Lorenzo's Mom in the movie "Lorenzo's Oil"), there is such dedication, that the parent almost becomes defensive at any external or internal change - even if it is for the better, so their defensive behavior is almost expected but in time would become acceptance and even joy that her child is well once again...
I think Mother was afraid of her son's reactions, and her own, when he would suddenly realize he was a grown man after all those years in twilight. I really feel she was kind of relieved when he "went back in"; she almost looked happy when she was concentrating on pinning his diaper on him near the end of the movie; she would no longer have to deal with this adult. She had her "baby" back.
shareShe was also very overprotective of him, especially when Leonard was taking interest in that young woman he saw in the room, his mom should have been more understanding.
shareI agree with Jonchapman. She was having a hard time with the transition. If you notice the patients were also having a hard time dealing with the fact that they hadn't had a transition. They just woke up one day years older than they had been. It is understandable that she was having a hard time too. Not only that but this woman had spent most of her time taking care of her son even though he couldn't respond. That woman never stopped taking care of him, or coming to see him like some of the patients' family members had. I am an only child and I know it would be the same way with my mom. Her only son was ill and she dedicated herself to him so when he woke up and suddenly didn't need her, I felt sorry for her. It's not just something that's easy to get over.
There is no comparison with Forest Gumps' mother because she watched him grow up. She didn't lose him until he left home as an adult.
i agree w/beetiesmom. she was a bit selfish but in a good way. being a mom i know i'll have to let my son go and find himself w/his peers and girls and stuff, it's part of growing up. she was pissed when he took interest in the woman but she couldn't help it, she wanted him all to herself. plus it was a big adjustment, but all she know for all those years was taking care of him, so when he slipped back in his catatonic state she felt more comfortable doing what she had always done for him. but i believe in her heart she was happy he had the awakening and had it laster longer i believe she would have made the long term adjustment.
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i c a li-toe si-lo-weh-toe of a man
SKA-LAH-MOOSH SKA-LA-MOOSH
I agree with the OP and Beetie; she was a bitch who insisted on treating him like a baby and not a man. She didn't have an ounce of respect for him and didn't even let him live in dignity. Witch, witch witch
shareShe trapped herself in that reality. No sympathy from me
shareI never thought she was at all. Terrific movie Two Thumbs way up!!!
shareWell said on this one cjh8504.
As other posters have speculated, the mother wasn't a bad person, but she was afraid of how her son started behaving since she had not had the experience of watching him develop 'organically' into adulthood. It must have been heart-breaking to watch her son degenerate and suffer as he did when he came out of his coma.
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You can notice the same behavior in relatives to persons falling ill to dementia, Parkinson, drug abuse or other illnesses that may affect the mind.
In the relatives eyes they want the person they knew back, but at the same time they know that the person in front of them at least physically is that person. The change causes frustration, fear and sadness in the relatives that are acting out of love and care and not egoism.
From the outside it's easy to point fingers and accuse the relatives for misbehaving and being egoistic, while the truth is that they are coping with a big loss at the same time they feel the need to tend for the person falling ill. It's a tough situation to be in and shows the support needed also for people around the patient.
The fact that she was so hurt by him liking girls annoyed me
Im sure if he had never been sick, she would have gone all Mrs Bates on him.
Im sure if he had never been sick, she would have gone all Mrs Bates on him.
Yeah, yeah, right...
But, you know, according to Psycho, Mrs. Bates was not the problem. Norman was the one too much attached to her.
I don't think it's fair to judge Mrs. Lowe.
She went from being a single mother (in the 30's!) of a ten year old boy to the single mother of (basically) a baby for thirty years... then he wakes up and she is watching him go into deep waters he has no experience with, like romance. Fact is, Leonard still only had the maturity and life experience of a nine year old.
None of this could have been easy for her.
[purple] Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream...
"Bitch"
Why the need for this type of language?
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