Jaws On Mother's Day: This Time It's Personal

As it’s Mother's Day, our head of content, Dean Newman, reflects on how his mum, Susan, influenced his love of Jaws. 

I wouldn't be here without my mum, I don't mean in the biological sense. Well of course, I do, but I mean I wouldn't be here as head of content at The Daily Jaws.

My mum started my love of Jaws, even before I was born. Peter Benchley's book was released in 1974 and my mum read it whilst pregnant with me. 

We always (partly) joked that I must have absorbed it through osmosis or something. She didn't see it in cinemas, I was born in October 1975 and it didn't get released in the UK until that December. The day after Christmas Day to be precise. 

Jaws - much like James Bond - was an intrinsic part of growing up in my house, so I've many fond memories of watching Jaws and its sequels with my mum, dad and brother. I can even see the exact set up of the living room at that point. 

My mum and dad had to put up with us watching our taped off the television copy of Jaws 3 (it had been on TV one Christmas and sat on a tape next to Monty Python and the Holy Grail) and pestering to rent Jaws The Revenge and watching it about three times before it went back to Video Magic. I love the Jaws franchise in all its guises, so sue me. 

Even when we were watching them from the umpteenth time I'd be sat in front of the TV with my tape recorder, recording dialogue and music to listen to in my room. 

The same year Revenge was released, 1987, was also the first year I bought Jaws. It was from Mansfield Woolworths. My mum was there then as well, we watched the CIC video as soon as we got home. I still have that copy. 

She still enjoyed the film, naturally not watching it quite as often as me. I even remember her saying she watched it again late last year.

Me? Even though it is on my shelf of blurays, if it is on TV I'll watch it. It's the Jaws Law. I also make sure I have it on at some point on my birthday, which is something I have probably done for the last 25 years. 

Although it's great seeing my Jaws articles across our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, for me the first person I had to share it with was my mum. Not for acceptance, but because she enjoyed reading it. 

I can't share this article with her though, as my mum died five days before Christmas last year. Cancer. I want to slap it like Mrs Kintner slaps Chief Brody, slap it until my hand bleeds.

It's been just over three month. Twenty-four hours may be like three weeks, but three months seems like an eternity.

Sometimes I just want to do a Michael Brody in Jaws The Revenge and just run,  run down that beach on Amity Island and not stop. In some ways I have been running to Amity, hiding in the pages and writing for The Daily Jaws.

As Jaws weaved seamlessly into our world at the begining, so it did at the end. Some of the hours when my mum was asleep in her side room were spent writing drafts of articles in my notepad or phone - the same phone I'm writing this on. That was my running down the beach of Amity, my sane in the world I had known for over 40 years no longer being that world.

It's a film that makes me happy and writing about it brings me pleasure and I know joy to others. It has kind of been my bubble.

So thank you all for being part of that continuing distraction, even though you didn't know it. I miss her every day, have to stop before I WhatsApp her or call to tell her about something I know she'd love to hear. Or just talk about nothing. And I can't do that anymore. She wasn't just mum, she was my friend. 

If you are lucky enough to still have your mum, make sure you give a call on the phone or via video call, especially if you are separated by coronavirus.

And at this crazy time, please think of the safety of you, your loved ones and others. Just because you are well, it doesn't mean others would be if they got coronavirus. So, please spare a thought for others and remember social distancing. 

I couldn't save my mum, but you can save yours, or someone else's. All 'Ellen Brodys' are special.

The love of film, the love of re watching films, the passion for writing, reading, history, the introduction to Jaws. All from my mum. Like I said at the beginning, I wouldn't be here without her. 

By Dean Newman

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