Earth Mama

R

Released Jul 7, 2023

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

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List

97%

58 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area community, she works to make a life for herself and her kids.

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Premiered Feb 27

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Critics Consensus

Heavy yet hopeful, Earth Mama is a moving look at single motherhood on the margins that features outstanding work from writer-director Savanah Leaf and star Tia Nomore.

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Roy J

I was expecting a more bureaucratic movie about fighting the system, but it was just a slow drama of a poor black woman deciding if she should give up her baby for adoption.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/26/23

Full Review

Shazzar

Excellent debut film filled with the urban poetry of being a young African-American woman growing up in the inner-city dealing with the struggles of being a single mother, substance abuse and caught up in the social services system. This is a coming-of-age story for a 24 year old woman named Gia who needed to grow up and accept the utmost responsibility of being a mother to get back what belongs to her while being open to giving what she doesn't want to lose. The cinematography of the Bay Area showed that beauty can be found from housing projects, the shores of San Francisco to redwood forests. If this film doesn't touch your heart you need to check if you have one. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye sung by Bettye Swann and music by Kelsey Lu were essential to the essence of this film. Always keep hope within your heart because hope can heal heartbreak.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/17/23

Full Review

Tom F

A brutal depiction of a difficult process.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

Full Review

dave d

Savanah Leaf, in her debut feature, taps into an underserved community and culture and finds goodness. Her film has heart and is often charming where you wouldn't expect. There is a realness without the hatred for the system. It doesn't lose focus and it doesn't dwell. Tia Nomore (also 1st movie) subtly plays the leading role as a pregnent mother with two kids who has several tough decisions. There is also the overarching issues that will make most want to have a deeper discussion after viewing. Final Score: 6.6/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/05/24

Full Review

Chris C

One of the very worst films of the year. About as lazy an effort as a filmmaker can deliver.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

Brent M

This is one of those films that leaves me with decidedly mixed feelings. It's definitely a showcase for writer-director Savanah Leaf, whose considerable artistic sensibilities are clearly apparent in her first feature outing. The same can be said for lead actress Tia Nomore, making her screen debut in a genuinely moving performance. Unfortunately, the vehicle in which their talents are being put to use could stand to be better. This story of the bureaucratic turmoil faced by a single mother in recovery who's pregnant with her third child (and her first two in foster care) sincerely seeks to evoke viewer empathy for the circumstances she's enduring. At the same time, though, the story also raises many questions about responsibility (or a lack thereof), an admittedly honest depiction of conditions that are often present in these scenarios that, nevertheless, tends to undercut the pursuit of that aforementioned goal, leaving viewers (like yours truly) confused about what to truly feel. Add to that a somewhat thin narrative that feels padded to fill out the runtime, and one has a picture that comes up short of its objective, despite the efforts of a fine ensemble cast and engaging cinematography. This production's National Board of Review accolades and Independent Spirit Award nominations aside, Leaf and Nomore genuinely deserve better material to show audiences what they're capable of. Regrettably, however, this isn't it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/19/23

Full Review

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Savanah Leaf

Director

Tia Nomore

Gia

Erika Alexander

Actor

Doechii

Actor

Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Actor

Dominic Fike

Actor

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Earth Mama: Trailer 1

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Nila Varman

Time Out

A vital but all-too-rare exploration of Black motherhood struggling on the margins.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 19, 2023

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It’s bleak at times, but there is a defiantly celebratory aspect to the film, which finds hope in the solidarity of Black women and dignity in Gia’s quiet stoicism.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 9, 2023

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

[Nomore] is a performer to watch in a film by a director who has, clearly, arrived.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 8, 2023

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

An empathic look at the hurdles many people must overcome while operating with a system that doesn’t always have room for the nuances of humanity.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

Touching story of a single mother who is trying to reshape her life to regain custody of her small children.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 24, 2023

Full Review

Jared Mobarak

Hey, Have You Seen ...?

Having her lead character fully conscious of what's coming proves a crucial piece to the [filmmaker's] objective lens. It's not therefore about success or failure. It's merely the reality that most of these scenarios fall somewhere in between.

Rated: 8/10

Dec 15, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area community, she works to make a life for herself and her kids.

Director: Savanah Leaf
Screenwriter: Savanah Leaf
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Net-Net Worldwide, A24, Film4, Academy Films, Park Pictures
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Language|Sexual References|Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 2023, Limited
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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