Paul (Dean Stockwell) is the middle of three brothers, the sons of hard drinking coal miner Walter (Trevor Howard) and his wife Gertrude (Wendy Hiller). Paul is a promising artist, with a patron (Ernest Thesiger) who wishes to fund his training in London. He also has an adoring, virginal girlfriend Miriam (Heather Sears). But Paul is dominated by his mother, who subtly interferes with his romance and career to keep him bound to her. This does not escape the notice of Walter, who is also resentful of his treatment as a boorish pariah even as he pays all the bills with his hard labor.
Paul rebels against the traps of commitment laid out for him by Miriam and his mother. He takes as a lover Clara Dawes (Mary Uwe), his supervisor at his low paying job. She is a suffragette, and is married but separated from her jealous husband Baxter (Conrad Phillips). Her being married is an advantage for Paul, an advocate of 'free love'. This subplot has lost most of its scandalous aspects over time, especially as their love scenes leave nearly everything to the imagination.
A telling character study, the script dwells on the relationship between mother and son. Like many parents whose own dreams have failed, she has ambitions for her sons to escape the wretched coal mines. The love that she once had for her husband now goes to Paul. Paul, who is to some degree a stand-in for author Lawrence, is surprisingly unsympathetic. He treats Miriam like a cad, and resorts to using a wooden plank to fend off an attacker.
Stockwell, the lead actor, is the only American in the cast. Doubtlessly, producer Jerry Wald cast teen idol Stockwell to improve distribution in the States. Stockwell, a former child star, redeems himself admirably. Thesiger, who had been in films since World War I, makes one of his final appearances as a crusty blue-blood.
Sons and Lovers was the most successful of the dozen or so films that Cardiff directed. Eventually the projects he was given declined in quality, and he returned to his career as a cinematographer. Believe it or not, Cardiff was the cinematographer on the midcentury classics The Red Shoes and The African Queen, as well as the comparatively recent action blockbusters Conan the Barbarian and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Although nearly forgotten today, the British production landed seven Academy Award nominations, winning for its B & W cinematography (Francis Freddie). Its other categories included Best Picture, Best Actor (Trevor Howard, who despite top billing had only a supporting role), Best Supporting Actress (Mary Ure), Best Director (Jack Cardiff), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Art Direction. (69/100)