Are you one of those people who, every once in a while, may indulge in watching a Lifetime movie on the couch with mom? Hey- even I can admit I’ve enjoyed my share of cheesy TV movies. But before you quickly dismiss this notion out of shame, you may be happy to know that director Paul Duddridge has delivered a heartwarming, “Lifetime-eqsue,” albeit cliche, ode to mom with the indie drama Mothers and Daughters. With an air of early 2000s filmmaking nostalgia and a star-studded cast, this little movie could be a nice way to spend a couple hours with mom this Mother’s Day. But don’t forget to bring a bottle of wine, this film is best watched with a glass or two.
Mothers and Daughters, not to be confused with the Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis-starring film Mother’s Day, is told through a variety of interwoven stories about what it is like to be a mom. The anchor of the film is photographer Rigby Gray (Selma Blair), a single woman who recommits to saving her relationship with her mother when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant and discovers what it really takes to be a mom. Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Courteney Cox and Mira Sorvino all reflect motherhood in different ways, from being over-protective to desperate for a stronger relationship, their screen time is short but sweet.
While Mothers and Daughters feels like it is set up to be a comedy, it is billed as an indie drama and doesn’t really find its dramatic tone until Christina’s Ricci’s scene about 20 minutes in. Ricci, who plays Rebecca (Cox’s daughter), learns a deep dark family secret that devastates her and her family. Up until that point, the film struggles to find its anchor, however, later scenes, like Selma Blair finding out she’s pregnant, really feels like it’s trying to be a comedy, but the script is not written that way and so it just leaves the viewer a little unsure.
In a lot of scenes, the conversations between characters happen via “video chat”, perhaps a money/ time-saving method to accommodate the actor’s busy schedules. It’s easy to forget that we’re just looking at a laptop in the beginning, but this filmmaking trick grows old quickly. Characters don’t connect to screens the same way they do characters in the flesh, and this disconnect doesn’t help the film’s chemistry at all.
With a film like this, our standards quickly match up to the tone of the story and in this case our standards are not very high. It’s a nice film, but most likely not to be remembered after it’s opening day. For those looking for a casual way to spend 90 minutes with mom this weekend, Mothers and Daughters could be a good way to show mom you care, or you could take your money intended for these movie tickets and buy her a bouquet of flowers.
Mothers and Daughters is rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements and brief drug use. In theaters Friday, May 6th.
