Xavier Dolan is one of Canada’s most notable directors. He was only 19 when directing his feature debut. His filmography is intimate and often personal, focusing on themes such as sexuality, love, and family. Realism is often the root of his films, allowing him to bring these universal themes into his works. In particular, his depiction of the family unit can be argued to be subversive, as it is often women written as the dominant figures in the household. In his films, he places women at the center of the family, particularly J’ai Tue Ma Mere and Mommy. Dolan challenges the nuclear family with these portrayals in the two films.
Mommy is Dolan’s most prominent work, and from the title alone, it is clear that there is a focus on the matriarchal figure. The film is set within a dystopian Canada where a bill called S-14 is implemented, allowing a parent who has a child with behavioural issues in a situation of financial distress, physical, or psychological danger to have the moral and legal right to put their child under the care of a public hospital without the process of law. The relationship between Diane “Die” Despres (Anne Dorval) and her rebellious son Steve (Antoine Olivier Pilon), who has ADHD, is the focus of this film. Steve’s behaviour is erratic, often with outbursts that continually strain his relationship with his mother. Dolan challenges the nuclear family by making Diane a single mother. She is the dominant figure of the household; she’s assertive and does what she can to provide for Steve.
However, it is the introduction of Kyla (Suzanne Clement), the next-door neighbour, that further subverts the portrayal of the family unit. Though she has a family of her own, she forms a close bond with Diane and Steve, creating a non-traditional family unit. The story is told from Diane’s perspective, though Steve can be seen as the protagonist. Through the film’s aspect ratio, Dolan depicts the characters’ moods. For most of the film’s duration, its aspect ratio is one-to-one, but it stretches when a character’s happiness peaks. Their world is in full view — it’s not claustrophobic. The characters can let out an exhale when things are looking up for them. However, when things get tough, the ratio shrinks again, making them feel cramped within a restrictive world. It’s a good visual depiction of their moods.
A scene that exhibits this change in the aspect ratio is when Diane and Kyla are riding bicycles as Steve skateboards. The two women ride behind Steve in elation as he stretches the frame. They act as a family. Instead of a father and a mother as the two parental figures, two women are prominent figures in Steve’s life.
Dolan’s film debut also focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son. J’ai Tue Ma Mere — translated in English to I Killed My Mother — is a script he wrote at the age of 16 and directed at 19. Though there is a sprinkle of real-life inspiration and themes in each of his works, the film is considered somewhat autobiographical. The protagonist Hubert, played by Dolan, has a strained relationship with his mother, Chantale, played by Dorval. Hubert’s parents divorced when he was young, leaving Chantale to raise him alone. This is similar to Dolan’s upbringing, causing his relationship with his father to strain for a period of time.
This may explain why he is drawn to portraying women as prominent household figures. Father figures have been absent from his works. In an interview, when asked why he doesn’t have fathers in his films, he answered, “I don’t see fathers,” but Dolan makes sure to portray these women with nuance. They’re three-dimensional characters who make mistakes, and though they love their children, they can hurt them. This is evident in the black-and-white scenes in J’ai Tue Ma Mere, where Hubert has personal monologues about his mother. It contrasts the harsh treatment the two have with each other throughout the film. “She got married and had a kid because that’s what everyone expected of her. That’s what everyone still expects of women,” Hubert explains. Despite his tumultuous relationship with his mother, he still loves her.
One prominent scene in the film that tremendously portrays women’s hardships, particularly mothers, is when Chantale receives a call from Hubert’s principal. Chantale and Hubert’s father both come to the agreement to send Hubert to a Catholic boarding school. A group of homophobic boys assaults Hubert, causing him to run away. Sexuality is another theme within the film that plays a role in the relationship between Hubert and Chantale. The principal calls Chantale to inform her about Hubert and to blame the lack of a male authority figure in his life for his behaviour. Chantale furiously rants about waking up at five in the morning for work for fifteen years to feed her son. She states that her husband left because fathering wasn’t his “cup of tea.” She and Hubert want the same thing — liberation. She feels criticised as a mother and no longer wants to be trapped within a patriarchy.
Jane Campion’s film, The Piano, sparked his interest in writing women. When accepting his Prix du Jury award at Cannes for Mommy, he stated that The Piano made him want to write roles for women. “[…] Beautiful women with soul, will, and strength [are] not victims and objects.” This is evident in all of his movies. Tom a La Ferme also portrays a single mother who has just lost her son and is grieving his death. Matthias et Maxime features a strained relationship between Dolan’s character, Maxime, and his mother, once again played by Dorval.
In Mommy, Diane eventually decides to give away her son to the hospital. In a dream sequence, Steve grows up to be a successful man. We see him receive a college acceptance letter and his wedding. This is Diane’s vision, and this is something she yearns for. The aspect ratio is wide for one last time to depict a moment of happiness. Dolan portrays Diane in a sympathetic way. While the audience may be angry at her for giving Steve to the hospital, Dolan wants to ensure they understand her and that she deeply regrets her choice.
Dolan’s portrayal of women and mothers challenges the depiction of women in cinema and the nuclear family. His choice to keep fathers absent from his films portrays a family bond that doesn’t require a male authority figure. His films are intimate and touch on themes of sexuality and familial dynamics, but Mommy and J’ai Tue Ma Mere exemplify the way he challenges convention.
