Review of The Illustrated Mum

Well, where do I start? The novel by Jacqueline Wilson is my absolute favourite book and when the DVD pack from Channel4.com arrived I shoved it in the DVD Player and pressed play. I'd seen bits of this from when I was about nine and I'm thirteen now. I was NOT disappointed with the drama, I knew I wouldn't be. I never watched Eastenders, so I wasn't familiar with Michelle Collins, who played the bipolar mother, Marigold Westward, but I was thrilled, as I was with Holly Grainger's performance of the older sister, Star, who clearly resents her mother most of the time.

However, I WAS familiar with Alice Connor's (Dolphin) work because I am a fan of The New Worst Witch and the original. She was brilliant, because of course she is a brilliant actress, in fact my favourite. I recently started watching My Spy Family because Alice stars in it.

There are many high and low points in the drama. Here's my two favourite heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments:

Heart Wrenching:

Marigold in stooping up the stairs, while their "old bat" neighbour from the downstairs flat yells at her:

MRS LUFT: You'll have them kiddies taken from you. Drinking yourself into snooper, you're a disgrace:

Heart warming:(This is the very last scene)

Marigold is in the hospital bed while Star and Dol are talking to her:

Dolphin: I love you, Marigold Marigold: I love you too, Dolly Dolphin Star: I love you, mum