The Grandmother (1970)

67% want to see it
(1,046 ratings)

A half-hour experimental film from early in director David Lynch's career, The Grandmother anticipates his later Eraserhead in its depiction of family life as a surrealistic nightmare. The film begins with the appearance of the mother and father, who sprout from the ground-like strange plants and… More A half-hour experimental film from early in director David Lynch's career, The Grandmother anticipates his later Eraserhead in its depiction of family life as a surrealistic nightmare. The film begins with the appearance of the mother and father, who sprout from the ground-like strange plants and speak only in dog-like animal sounds. They are soon joined by another sprout, a pale, silent young boy dressed in a tuxedo. The scene moves to the family home, where the gruff, boorish parents intimidate and abuse the boy, cruelly punishing him for his chronic bed-wetting. Eventually, the boy escapes to an upstairs room where he dumps dirt on a bed and plants a large seed. This seed grows into a monstrous plant, which gives birth to an older woman, the grandmother. She and the boy form a loving bond, protecting him from the harshness of his parents. However, when the grandmother falls ill, the boy's world threatens to collapse. Lynch mingles live-action footage with animated interludes and replaces traditional dialogue with an unsettling soundtrack. The film is less concerned with narrative than with using its horrific and sometimes beautiful imagery to evoke the intense emotions of a tormented child. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 34 min.
Directed By: David Lynch
Genres: Animation, Special Interest

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Featured Audience Ratings

Wahida K

This has to be one of the disturbing Movies I have ever seen.
Anthony L

The film that made Lynch. It's clear to see how this film has influenced his later work but I can't say I liked it much. I'm not a huge fan of the animation either.
Lafe F

Disturbing and artistic. I was a bit grossed-out, but the style was interesting.
Randy T

A short film by David Lynch made with grant money from the American Film Institute. It's obvious, even at this early stage, that the seeds of genius are taking root. In hindsight, this has <i>Eraserhead</i> written all over it.
El Hombre I

Here, you get to view the artist from the ground up, to see and understand where he came from, what he was maybe trying to say, and what he hoped to achieve in his work. Is it always pleasant to look at? No. Is it always clear and simple? Absolutely not. But in terms of art and… More
Here, you get to view the artist from the ground up, to see and understand where he came from, what he was maybe trying to say, and what he hoped to achieve in his work. Is it always pleasant to look at? No. Is it always clear and simple? Absolutely not. But in terms of art and cinematic imagination, Lynch succeeds. Goodness is the first to go. One could very easily see the boy in this short film growing up to be the strange Henry Spencer of Eraserhead and this film is just as visually striking. Without dialogue, Lynch lets visual cues tell the story. Early work that's effectively nightmarish. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=thegrandmother.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/thegrandmother.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Christopher B

Excellent short film displaying the talents of an early David Lynch. Before Lynch tore apart fatherhood in Eraserhead, he tore apart family, with the exception of the loving grandmother who is created by a young boy. Fantastic stuff which showed the emergence of one of the greatest… More
Excellent short film displaying the talents of an early David Lynch. Before Lynch tore apart fatherhood in Eraserhead, he tore apart family, with the exception of the loving grandmother who is created by a young boy. Fantastic stuff which showed the emergence of one of the greatest directors of all time.