Directed by Shelly Lowe
Based in Derry, A Bump Along the Way sets a tone of comfortable familiarity from the beginning which continues throughout the film. Directed by Shelly Lowe, the film depicts the delicate relationship of a madcap mother (Bronagh Gallagher) and her more conscientious daughter (Lola Petticrew). Having been told that she was unable to conceive again, Pamela (Gallagher), aged 44, becomes pregnant after a drunken one-night-stand. The story follows Pamela’s pregnancy and Allegra’s (Petticrew) reckoning with her new sibling and embarrassing mother.
Derry is portrayed as a ‘small-town’, with everyone entangled in each other's business. Pamela struggles with single-motherhood and the pressures of asking an absent-father for support. Allegra is faced with the turmoil of teenage life and her perceived importance of appearances. While the setting and scenario may seem foreign, the story is very familiar.
At times the cinematic ambitions of the director seem to jar with the general tone of the film, particularly in times of tribulation for the daughter. While the evocative shots and portrait sequences are beautiful, they interrupt the pace of the movie. However this should not discourage the viewer from enjoying ninety-five minutes of heart-warming, humorous story-telling by a strong female cast.