Perguntas frequentes

When deeply religious Violet Hook (Annette Carell) dies, leaving behind her seven children -- Elsa (Margaret Leclere), Diana (Pamela Franklin), Hubert (Louis Sheldon), Dunstan (John Gugolka), Jiminee (Mark Lester), Gerty (Phoebe Nicholls), and Willy (Gustav Henry), whose ages range from five to fourteen -- the children decide that it would be best to bury their mother in the backyard and continue to live together rather than risk being separated and placed in orphanages. Except for a few close calls with their ex-housekeeper Mrs Quayle (Yootha Joyce) and Jiminee's teacher Miss Bailey (Clare Davidson), all goes well until their absentee father Charlie (Dirk Bogarde) unexpectedly reappears.

Our Mother's House is based on a 1963 novel (same name) by British author Julian Gloag. The novel was adapted for the screenplay by British dramatist Jeremy Brooks and Israeli-born actress Haya Harareet.

When the children find out that Charlie is sleeping with prostitutes, entertaining Mrs Quayle, has squandored all the money in Mother's rainy day account, and is planning to sell the house, they try to figure out what to do next. Charlie returns home that evening to seven dour faces, all demanding an explanation. At first, he tries to explain away the sale of the house as just a way of getting an estimate of its value. As his anger grows, however, he informs them that he owns the property and is free to do whatever he wants with it. He begins to rant about their mother being a 'tart' who slept with numerous men, calls the children 'bastards', and reveals that he's planning to put them all in orphanages. When he callously tosses Mother's picture in the fireplace, Diana snaps and hits him with a fire poker, killing him instantly. Just then, Mrs Quayle attempts to unlock the front door and enter the house, looking for Charlie, but Hubert is able to latch the chain before she can get in. After ranting for a few minutes, she leaves. Finally convinced that they must seek the help of a trustworthy adult, the children close up the house and begin walking up the dark street together.

We don't know for sure just where they're going. Some think they're going to the police, others that they're just wandering away with no destination in sight. Many viewers think that they're headed to the doctor's house at the end of the street, evidenced by one of the children asking whether they are 'going to tell the doctor about mother, too?'