Returning home can be hard. Returning home to a family that doesn’t know you’re gay with your longtime boyfriend in tow, is even harder.  

Van, along with his boyfriend Ian, is making his first visit home to Vietnam since moving to the United States nine years ago. Despite the time apart, the bond between Van and his mother is strong and it’s easy to see how much he loves her. She has high expectations for her son, which include returning to Vietnam, getting married, and having children; none of which he intends to do. Van has promised Ian that he will tell her about them, but can’t bring himself to disappoint her. There are plenty of clues that Van and Ian are in love, and mom seems to notice but she chooses not to see it.  

Van’s family are an eccentric bunch. Sometimes goofy and sometimes awful, they bring some comic relief and a whole lot of dramatic tension to the story. The most colorful of the group is Van’s grandmother. In the throes of dementia, she’s ecstatic to see her beloved grandson, but can’t tell the two young men apart and showers her affection on Ian instead. Ian goes along with the charade and the heart-to-heart conversations he shares with her are amongst the sweetest moments of the film. 

Goodbye Mother is a heartfelt family story with a bit of romance, a few laughs, and an emotional punch. It explores all the things that make being part of a big family so special and so trying, reminding us of the lengths we’ll go to to avoid seeing the difficult truths about the people we love. This heartwarming film will connect with everyone who sees it and is sure to be an audience favorite. 

~ Stephen Weisenreder

Official Selection – Busan International Film Festival

Official Selection – Vancouver Queer Film Festival