New York Mom

Eliza Welsh is what one of the characters in "Motherhood" refers to derisively as an "urban mom." That is to say a young woman who lives in an upscale part of town (in this case, Greenwich Village), has a hoard of New Age-y mom friends who obsess over the ins-and-outs of successful childrearing, and herself hosts a blog dedicated to - what else? - how to survive the rigors of young motherhood without sacrificing one's identity as a woman, as a wife and as an individual. It's a battle that Eliza seems to be losing at the moment, but at least she's giving it the old college try.

Written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann, this seriocomic tale takes place on the day before Eliza's oldest child is to turn six. Filled with mixed emotions at the event and saddled with a husband (Anthony Edwards) who seems more focused on his own needs than those of his wife, Eliza struggles with arranging a birthday party, dodging parking tickets, coping with a studio-shoot on her street, looking out for her elderly neighbor, and raising a toddler - all while trying to carve out a little time for herself to write and to do all the things adults (those without children, at least) normally do in the course of their days.

Dieckmann's screenplay is filled with both poignancy and humor as it deftly explores the life of this harried mother. Uma Thurman, in a tour-de-force performance, captures both the manic energy and utter exhaustion of the nonstop merry-go-round that her character finds herself riding on; and she is fully supported by Edwards as her husband, Minnie Driver as her closest girlfriend, and Arjun Fupta ("Nurse Jackie") as a sexy delivery boy who, for a brief moment at least, allows Eliza to let her hair down a bit and to see the heart of the vibrant, sexy, carefree woman that still beats beneath all the motherly obsessions and concerns.

Although it's ultimately a bit too slight in the drama department for it to rise much above the level of a bemusing curiosity, "Motherhood" still has some valid insights to make about its subject.

This film is about a mother's hectic day, trying to fit everything she has to do in just 24 hours.

"Motherhood" details what a mother of two has to do in a day, from housework, organising her daughter's birthday party, shopping and writing. The events seem ordinary, but it successfully highlights the stress of being a mother and a housewife. It's a job that has no off office hours, no breaks and no days off. Their demands and difficulties of their roles are often underestimated and unappreciated. It reminds us that people need encouragement and acknowledgment to survive the mundane routine. It reminds us not to take love for granted.

I don't always like the "german" titles American (or other "foreign") movies get in Germany. But in this instance, I think the title (which I wrote as my summary line) fits better than the original title. It also might get some people off the case/movie, who seem to genuinely hate the movie. I don't think, the filmmakers went out there, to show us the "ultimate" truth about parenthood (or motherhood for that matter), but just a slice of life.

Of course that doesn't mean, that the movie has no deficits. It seems a bit unbalanced and one sided at times. But it still has quite a few moments. And depending on your likings, you might nod your head in agreement or shake it in disagreement/disgust. It's definitely a movie that was made for a specific audience. Hate it or love it for it

This film is just awful. How did they get all this actors to get involved is beyond me. Uma Thurman is a fine actress, but there was no way she could save this. Awful script, lousy directing and uninteresting characters.

Motherhood has a great premise and a great lead actress, but its problem stems from the fact that it picks the wrong setting and character for a movie like this. I have been waiting for a film about a mother, of maybe two, living in a bad neighborhood on Welfare with no husband struggling to make end's meet. I don't wish that on anybody, but I feel if someone with great talent, maybe John Singleton, worked on the project it'd be a worth seeing film with a great message and great performances.

I don't see why we should have sympathy for Uma Thurman when her character is clearly just having a bad day, or a bad week. She lives in a sizable apartment in West Village, New York, has another for that matter, a good, consistent blog, and a nice family. She's doing way better than I am, yet she wants sympathy because she's been running around for one day trying to organize a birthday party for her kid.

Yes, Uma Thurman plays Eliza, a mother who is trying to give her daughter the best sixth birthday party ever. Her absent minded husband Avery (Edwards) is a classic book collector who means well, but sort of clueless. So she is left to try and construct this party by herself with numerous things going wrong.

I'm in no way saying motherhood is an easy thing. It's probably grueling some days, but enlightening on others. Eliza is simply having a bad day. When mother's have young kids, they want to give them the world on their birthdays. They want them to be happy. Planning a party for a six year old is harder than planning one for a thirteen year old. When you're six, you get what's best. When you're thirteen, you want this, that, this, that, and don't forget that.

I have minor sympathy for this slump Eliza is in, but she lives in West Village of all places. For those unfamiliar, it's a very nice and expensive Village in New York. Obviously, you're not living in a slum and are doing pretty well for yourself. Again, not to sound like I'm jealous, but if you have enough money to afford West Village, you obviously have enough money to work something out for your daughter's party.

Despite comments online, I went into Motherhood with my head held high. I thought it might surpass some of the extreme hate it's getting on some sites. Then when I saw character development is weak, the realism among Eliza's friends is slim, and Uma Thurman's appearance in almost every shot of this movie when she isn't playing that great of a character, I lost interest fast.

Starring: Uma Thurman and Anthony Edwards. Directed by: Katherine Dieckmann.