I wanted to like the film/DVD Motherhood. I really did. All the elements were there -- a hassled mum with a seemingly slacker hubby, Uma Thurman AND Minnie Driver. And the main character is a mum blogger. A mum blogger! I should have loved it.
Well, I didn't and neither did the three other mums who watched it with me.
The overriding theme -- how much mums give up when they ditch work in order to stay home with the kids -- fell flat. It was a bit contrived and not very funny. Even Uma Thurman couldn't save this film. None of us could identify with the main character.
The best scene was in the beginning, when you live through the before school shuffle -- in fast forward. Eliza (Uma Thurman), of course, was doing everything, while dad (Anthony Edwards ... remember him from ER?) is sitting reading the paper. I could totally relate to that. And there were a couple of other humorous scenes at the play park -- a crunchy mum doing crying therapy with her son and the psycho mum that challenges Eliza when she reprimands psycho mum's son for being naughty on the playground. But that's about it.
I was disappointed the film barely touched on the complex world of mum blogging ... the most interesting scene being where Eliza shared one of her best friend's (Minnie Driver) most private moments online, and the rift that followed.I didn't mind the film being slightly over the top (living in two rent controlled rooms in New York's West Village, the parking shuffles, dancing with the delivery man, etc). But I didn't feel like I had enough invested in Eliza's character when she "lost it" -- fleeing her daughter's 6th birthday party for the Lincoln Tunnel. I just sat there and thought "am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" It should have been a tearful moment, but oh well.
I'm sooooo glad I didn't see it in the cinema, though I would be happy to watch it on a 10-hour plane ride.
I know most of mumosphere was sent a free review copy of this ... so what did you think? Did you like it? Were my expectations too high?
