Review of BAD MOMS: Crusade Against Convention

August 4, 2016

The sleazy local poster of this movie did not look promising at all. I don't know if Mila Kunis even knew she would wind up on such an embarrassing poster layout, wearing unflattering black lingerie like this. Anyhow, I like Mila Kunis and I watch her films. Yes, even the maligned "Jupiter Ascending," I watched and liked. So, I also watched this one even though I had my apprehensions given the title and poster.

Amy Mitchell is trying her best to be a perfect working mom. She gives all her energy and time catering to all the meals, needs, homework and busy schedules of her two spoiled kids, Jane and Dylan.  After one particularly disastrous day of failing to juggle her many responsibilities, she still had to attend a so-called emergency PTA meeting organized by the overbearing Gwendolyn, only to find out it was just about a bake sale. Frustrated, Amy walks out. Together with her new friends (liberated single mom Carla and mousy stay-at-home mom Kiki), she decided to stop being a slave to an unrealistic ideal of maternal perfection, and just be what other people may call a "bad mom". 

Mila Kunis here reminded me of Cameron Diaz and her own raunchy film "Bad Teacher" (MY REVIEW). Like Diaz, Kunis was able to rise above the craziness of her flawed character and make her delightful and likable. Of course, while Diaz's Ms. Halsey was really a lazy nutcase, Kunis's Amy was a good overly-caring mom to begin with, who just felt she needed to rebel against conventional norms and expectations of modern-day motherhood.

Kristen Bell played Kiki, a harassed mother of four toddlers, a sweet shrinking-violet easily cowed by her demanding husband. Of course, her "Frozen" fans will be surprised as to the shocking things their beloved Princess Anna would get to say in here. Kathryn Hahn played Carla, the loud and sex-starved mother of one hulking teenage boy. She's been around for a while, but I think her role here is her biggest so far. She stole her scenes with her strong screen presence and risque lines.  

Christina Applegate played Gwendolyn, a "Mean Girl" who grew up to be a "Mean Mom." I was surprised to see Jada Pinkett-Smith in a much smaller role as Stacy, one of Gwendolyn's minions. Completing their trio is Annie Mumulo as Vicky, who seemed tempted by Amy's cool hip ways, as compared to Gwendolyn's straight-laced bitchiness.

Only one man gets a positive picture painted in this feministic film. He is Jessie (played by Jay Hernandez), a good-looking and buff widower dad all the moms are fawning over. However, the other men here were shown to be jerks. They are either losers, like Amy's husband Mike (played by David Walton); or ungrateful, like Amy's boss Dale (played by Clark Duke); or controlling, like Kiki's husband Kent (played by Lyle Brocato); or wimpy, like Jane's soccer coach Craig (played by JJ Watt); or spineless, like school principal Burr (played by Wendell Pierce).

Being written and directed by the same two guys who wrote "The Hangover" (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore), there were sex jokes galore, including an entire uncomfortably prolonged scene about the uncircumcised penis. There were plenty of scenes and references about alcohol and weed. Having a lot of profanity in the script is probably the least of these naughty offenses. All in the spirit of fun, I understand, but still this type of comedy may not sit well with some sensitive folk (who should have known already what to expect from a film like this in the first place.)

However, under all of these raunchiness, this film actually had an insightful, liberating and poignant message to moms of all types. I could definitely see the connection to what my own wife goes through daily as dictated by our children's schedules in their school, their sports, their tutors, and their extra-curricular activities. If she could tolerate the spicy language and green humor enough to reach the final act, I am sure she (and other mothers) would totally identify and appreciate the female-empowering sentiments of this film far more deeply than any man or non-mom ever could. The surprise extra over the closing credits was a precious bonus. 7/10.

By the way, this one below is the US poster. As you can see, it is far less raunchy than the poster we got here locally.