MOTHER'S DAY (D+/B)

Not unlike its painful, predecessing sistren (2010’s Valentine’s Day and 2011’s New Year’s Eve), Mother’s Day is an awkwardly paced, holiday-themed ensemble that obnoxiously panders to its audience via a series of unfortunate meet-cute coinkydinks.  It’s not a good movie, but somehow still better than the aforementioned hollow duds that proceeded it.  To be wholly fair, I took my own mother who called it ‘light fun’ and stamped it with a solid B grade – and judging by the laughter and applauds gratuitously bandied about at our 300+ person advanced screening, I would say the feeling of this being a heartwarming tale is mostly mutual.  These moviegoers were eating the mind-numbing, eye-rolling shenanigans up with a spoon. Part of it makes sense as Roberts, Hudson and (especially) Aniston are all quite good given the seemingly insurmountable odds that lay before them – poor direction, lazy editing, bad scriptwriting, etc.  Mother’s Day is a forced mess and has the specific feel of a two-hour, one-season-only, late-to-mid 80’s sitcom created by fecal-throwing monkeys more interested in de-bugging their sandy-brown manes in lieu of creating passable dialogue, interesting characters or believable scenarios.  I mean seriously, how does a movie about mothers NOT have a mother drinking wine in it?  Most moms don’t not drink wine – ever.  I could easily drop a lazy F-grade for this troublesome flick, but a charming Aniston – along with the occasional truth about raising children – proves to be a very small sail of hope on an otherwise very leaky vessel. Its heart may occasionally be in the right place – I just wish it had the occasional brains to match. 

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Britt Robertson and Timothy Olyphant 

Directed by: Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve)

Rated: PG-13 

Running time: 1hr. 58min. 

Story: "Mother's Day" is the latest star studded ensemble comedy from director Garry Marshall. Bringing together Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts along with Jason Sudeikis, it's a celebration of mothers everywhere. This big-hearted comedy invites us all to enjoy the laughter, tears and love as three generations come together in the week leading up to Mother's Day. 

Website:  www.seemothersday.com