Movie Review: Mother's Day

Not another "Occasion Movie" I thought to myself as I saw the trailer to "Mother's Day". I was never a fan of the whole "New Year's Eve" - "Valentines Day" movie-formula. Seeing it as just a movie to watch for the sake of "an occasion" but what "Mother's Day" has going for it is that it has a secret weapon...and that is we all came from a mother and that could result to very complicated relationships 

We all have some sort of relationship with our mom, whether it's that you're best friends or worst enemies, sometimes even both, yes, "frenemies" is a common thing between Moms and their children. 

In "Mother's Day" we see different kinds of moms interact in what becomes a hilarious interwoven story during probably the most memorable Mother's Day celebration in movie history. 

Divorced Mom, Sandy (with two sons) Jennifer Aniston is struggling to deal with her children's new stepmom. Mom with Mom issues, Jesse (Kate Hudson) has cut ties with her mom, due to some life choices, she made. 

Then we have Mister Mom Bradley (Jason Sudekis), who I must say was the one I was most looking forward to seeing in the movie. His wife recently passed away and he is having a hard time coping with the loss as well as being left alone with his two daughters. Sudekis did not disappoint and probably brought the most tears from a crybaby me. Go Mister Mom!       

Britt Robertson (who starred opposite George Clooney in 'Tomorrowland') is Kristin, a new mom, who has some abandonment issues since she grew up not knowing her birth mother.   

Julia Roberts is Ms. Career -Miranda, the queen of an ubiquitous home shopping network. She has taken her career as her child but what secret is she hiding? This is her fourth appearance in a Gary Marshall film - of course there's Pretty Woman. 

Mother's Day is a light and fun filled film, full of laughs and a bit of tears. I haven't heard an audience laugh so hard and there they were laughing their heads off. Looking back at it, the audience was doing more than just laughing, they were reacting to the movie, gasping at the right moments, and tearing up on the dramatic ones. 

There are the heavier 'mom movies' like "The Joy Luck Club" (1993) and "Stepmom" (1998) -(where ironically Julia Roberts plays the eponymous Stepmom) and "Mother's Day" knows what kind of 'mom movie' they are and that is the light and fun kind, where all you will do is laugh and laugh some more. There may be tears, mind you. 

Definitely the movie to take mom out on Sunday - Mother's Day because it would be nice to enjoy a film, without having to explain to your mom why Batman and Superman are beating each other up or why Captain America and Iron Man are in a very complicated...love triangle...relationship. 

 Some of my rants about the movie - The third act of the film was a bit over the top (sudden wedding, instant party) and I can't stand Julia Roberts really bad hairdo. Funny that for a mom movie there were a lot of unnecessary boob exposure. Good thing that they belong to Kate Hudson and Jennifer Aniston or else that would have been a horror movie entirely.  

5.5 out of 10 Stars take mom out to this movie on Mother's Day! 

Mother's Day opens in May 4 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International.