Mensch Mutter (2003)

The successful editor Vreni is going through a difficult time: She is only getting over the separation from her unfaithful husband Manfred with difficulty, her beloved son Mike will soon also be leaving home to go to the USA for a year, and she has to compete against a young, up-and-coming competitor at the publishing house. As if that weren't enough worries, Vreni's sprightly mother Hilde suffers a stroke completely unexpectedly. Since Vreni's brother Rolf elegantly extricates himself from the affair, Vreni has to take her mother in until the old lady can return to her own apartment. Tensions are inevitable, since Hilde interferes in the life of her reserved daughter in a rather dominant manner. She not only tries to "advise" Vreni on career issues, but has also set herself the goal of mending her daughter's marriage. In her new neighbor, the likeable Arno, who also cares for his elderly mother, Vreni finds an understanding conversation partner. Although Hilde senses that Vreni feels more for Arno than just friendship, she doesn't say anything good about the somewhat introverted man. She even suspects that he wants to poison his own mother... When Manfred contacts Vreni one day and asks to meet, she tentatively hopes for a reconciliation. A little later, on her mother's 75th birthday of all days, Vreni learns that Manfred had met her primarily at Hilde's request. Now she finally loses her temper. Vreni realizes that there needs to be an open discussion between her and her mother. Long-suppressed conflicts break out and painful truths come to light. But through the cleansing power of this conversation, mother and daughter finally find each other again. In the end, Vreni manages to put the past behind her and start a new life full of optimism.