– By Cate Marquis –
Despite stars, ‘Mother’s Day’ is no treat
If you are thinking director Gary Marshall’s “Mother’s Day” sounds like a nice outing for Mom, you might want to re-think the brunch option. The inoffensive, forgettable film has an ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Margo Martindale, and Julia Roberts, but is a dull offering that is no special treat.
“Mother’s Day” is the third in the director’s sentimental series named for holidays, following “New Year’s Eve” and “Valentines Day.” All use a similar format, with name stars in a handful of overlapping, sentimental romantic comedy stories. The installment continues that with a collection of diversity and tolerance-themed lightly comic tales involving mothers, and shows the series is not getting better as it rolls along.
Jennifer Aniston plays Sandy, a divorced mother of two boys who has a friendly relationship with her ex (Timothy Olyphant). When the ex re-marries a much younger woman (Shay Mitchell), Sandy has to cope with new feelings, and complications in their once smooth-running routine. Kate Hudson plays one of two sisters who have distanced themselves from their bigoted parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine), and out of fear of their disapproval, have concealed their life partners – an Indian husband (Aasif Mandavi) for Hudson’s character and a same-sex spouse for her sister (Sarah Chalke). Julia Roberts plays a successful shopping channel entrepreneur, hawking “mood” necklaces for Mother’s Day, who is devoted to her career. Jason Sudeikis plays a widowed father of two girls, who lost his Marine wife in combat and is now struggling with how to handle the first Mother’s Day without the girls’ mother. Britt Robertson plays young mother who loves but is reluctant to marry the father of her baby, played by Jack Whitehall.
Marshall is certainly a director who knows his craft, so this limp ensemble film is disappointing to see. A holiday-themed film with a ensemble star cast is sure to draw an audience with a release timed for that holiday, which looks like an easy way for everyone involved to make some money, almost like cheating. The film’s worst part might be its script, which is full of stereotypical situations and a kind of diversity check-list feel, built on cookie-cutter characters. The directing is absent-minded, and the cast either seem to phone in performances or go for the worst over-blown impulse. At best, the film might be called serviceable or inoffensive but it also does not look like anyone, from scriptwriter to director to stars, is making even minimal effort in this snooze-inducing film. Audiences deserve a little more for their money.
© Cate Marquis
