Mother
Starring: Albert Brooks, Debbie Reynolds, Rob Morrow, John M. McGinley, Lisa Kudrow, Isabel Glasser, Peter White
Directed by: Albert Brooks
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
1996

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Albert Brooks) going through a divorce decides to move back in with his mother (Debbie Reynolds) to study their relationship and identify how it's impacted his life.

Review:

Tim: I mostly like Albert Brooks, but I wouldn't consider myself a "fan" of any kind. When I sat down to watch Mother, I had some reservations. It certainly seemed like a bit of a self-indulgent story of a well off white man complaining about mommy. That isn't the best set up for a film. And, while that is somewhat accurate of a description, Brooks directs a fairly solid effort that is entertaining and occasionally thought provoking. I laughed out loud a few times during the movie. So, Mother has flaws, but it's a good movie.

The premise only really works in the context of a Hollywood comedy. In real life, if you heard about a grown man moving back in with his healthy, able mother, it would likely be a sad story. Here, though, we can laugh about it. The script (also by Brooks) does a great job of setting this up in a way that makes sense. This author with minor success recognizes he has issues with women and traces it back to the relationship with his mother. In an attempt to better understand their dynamic (and therefore, himself), he moves in with her. It's a Hollywood idea, but an interesting one. It's a premise that creates a lot of opportunity for laughs and it does create some self-reflection for ourselves- (if our mothers are living), what would it be like to move in with her as an adult? (if they have sadly passed on), what would it have been like, how did our relationship influence my thinking? (if you never knew your mother), how did the absence of that relationship influence your worldview? Yes, it's a little indulgent, but there's some intriguing psychological work being done here.

Now, for Brooks the actor, I think he's a bit hit-or-miss. I generally believe he's talented and there's some movies I've loved his performances in. Others, he feels too forced or over-the-top. He's definitely playing this role for laughs and is a bit larger than life at times, but I thought he brought some earnest emotion to the role. I don't think I ever really liked his character, but I was interested in seeing how his journey progressed. The whole thing was tainted by a good deal of victim mentality (it's not ALL your mother's fault), but I thought he played this self-absorbed person well. His comedic timing is impeccable and his line delivery several times truly made me laugh. My favorite moment of the film is how he delivers the line, "Oh yeah? What does she do, marvel that I can get all my fat under my clothes?" It's hilarious and I've watched it a dozen times. He definitely elicits a number of laughs throughout the film.

While Brooks is good in the lead role, it's Debbie Reynolds who really makes this movie work. I read that Brooks' first few attempts to cast the role failed. I'm glad they did, because Reynolds is fantastic in the role. She's a nightmare of a mother, but she plays the role perfectly- she's never truly malicious. It's.... complicated. Exactly like the relationships of many mothers and sons. You never truly fault Reynolds, even when she says some brutal things to her son. I thought her interactions with Brooks felt truly comfortable and familiar- I was able to believe they were mother-and-son. Reynolds is just a hoot (man, I must be getting old to use that phrase). She's so much fun in this role- you know she derived real delight from playing this character. She enjoys the role and that shows up on screen. The Reynolds-Brooks dynamic is wonderful and it's a major reason why the movie works.

Rob Morrow was okay as the other son. His character creates a few laughs through the film, but it felt like Morrow was too much in the role. He needed a slightly more restrained performance. It felt like he was clearly far below the talents of Brooks and Reynolds and it hurts the movie. I always love seeing John C. McGinley, but he's in the movie for one scene only. It's a good scene, but far too little. You can say the exact same thing for Lisa Kudrow. She's good, makes the movie better, but has only one scene. In its entirety, though, the cast is fairly good.

Mother is never going to be an especially memorable movie. It's not good enough. However, it's still a good movie. Brooks crafts a film that is entertaining, funny, and it makes you think. It's not a rousing success, but a success nevertheless. I had fun watching this movie and I enjoyed myself. And that is always cause for celebration.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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