Movie Blog Post: MOTHER’S DAY! Garry Marshall Ensem Rom/Com

Tinsel & Tine’s Look at MOTHER’S DAY MOVIE

By Editor, Le Anne Lindsay

I am very grateful to have a mother and an aunt that’s like a mother, both alive and in relatively good health for women in their late seventies. I love them and do want to spend time with them, but I’m just over holidays completely. No offense to anyone, I just hate having to stop and think – Oh, that’s right, the next holiday is upon us, Do I have to buy a gift? What are we doing, eating out or eating in? Either option comes with it too much organizing and too much expense.

Director Garry Marshall on the other hand, seems to love holidays, as this is his 3rd movie surrounding one – Mother’s Day. The cast isn’t as large as that of Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve, but still an assembly of an ensemble holiday-themed romantic comedy for the fun of it!

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Timothy Olyphant, Britt Robertson, Héctor Elizondo, Aasif Mandvi, Jack Whitehall, Loni Love and more…

Quick T&T Synopsis: Jennifer Aniston’s character Sandy is the focal storyline. She’s a mother of two boys under age 13, an interior designer, with a super hot ex-husband Henry (Timothy Olyphant) who is an excellent co-parent; they have one of those divorces that allows for a closer relationship now, than when they were married. So when Henry lays the bomb on her that he’s remarrying, Sandy’s not only blindsided by the surprise of it, but has to now contend with this new child-bride, Tina (Shay Mitchell) who’s perky, gorgeous, fun loving, well-meaning and basically a nightmare for a 40-something woman to have to compete with, even one in as good shape as Jennifer Aniston – sidenote: Aniston’s skin is looking like she’s been out in the sun too often, that Aveeno lotion she’s always hawking doesn’t seem to be doing the trick.

Below is a quick video interview with Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars Emily Fields)
Note: video will not be visible to those receiving T&T via RSS feed. Click HERE to view

The other storylines revolve around Sandy’s neighbors – two sisters, played by Kate Hudson & Sarah Chalke, one married to a man of Indian decent (Aasif Mandvi) they have a mixed race son. The other is married to a woman (Cameron Esposito) with a child from either a pre-lesbian relationship or In vitro. The sister’s parents (Margo Martindale & Robert Pine) are the old-fashioned, conservative, racist types who are not ready for a “Modern Family”.

Jason Sudeikis plays a father whose wife (Jennifer Garner cameo) died overseas serving in the military and he’s left to raise two teenage daughters (Ella Anderson & Jessie Case), who don’t seem nearly as broken up about losing their mom as the father is about having lost his wife.

And Marshall’s “Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts plays a kinda Joy Mangano (click for T&T “Joy” movie post) HSN celebrity who has made a big success of her career, but has also created an off-putting, closed-off, ice queen persona when not on camera. Except of course, she’s nice to her agent played by Garry Marshall staple Héctor Elizondo, he even makes a Pretty Woman joke at one point regarding Robert’s character’s use of a fork.

There’s another storyline with Brit Robertson & Jack Whitehall, but I didn’t care for their scenes, so I’m just gonna leave it at that. Unfortunately, the critics have not been even that careful not to destroy Mother’s Day they’ve given it a 7% splat on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s harsh! However, I will agree when you have this many writers (Screenplay by: Tom Hines, Anya Kochoff Romano, Matt Walker. Story by: Tom Hines, Lily Hollander, Garry Marshall, Matt Walker) even on an ensemble movie – it’s difficult to create a sharp script. Also, the movie is not really romantic or a laugh out loud comedy, still, it’s agreeable, wash over you entertainment.

I did like that this critic expressed his opinion in food terms:

… Comedy filmmaker Garry Marshall is back, cranking up his holiday-movie machine for a third trip through his buffet of movie stars…it’s cinematic comfort food for people who go in probably knowing what they’re ordering. Who know it’s going to follow a certain recipe. Who know there will be zero surprises and no need to employ their brains and who will quite possibly be manipulated into crying before the end and be happy about the waterworks – Michael Smith Tulsa World

And although Loni Love plays a supporting role in Jason Sudeikis’ story. It would have been nice to see a family of color, with a main story, so I kinda see this critic’s point:

Not included among the A-list ensemble attempting to enliven the Hallmark Channel–grade script is almost anyone of color; this is an Atlanta-set dramedy in which every major character is white. The screenwriters fashion this intersecting narrative as an anthemic statement about how we treat the people we love, but focusing exclusively on upper-middle-class life undercuts the film’s presumptions of universality. – Michael Nordine The Village Voice