Joyeuse Fête des Mères

Garry Marshall died this year after a very long career of feel goo films he wrote, directed, acted in, produced – and sometimes all simultaneously, both on television (The Odd Couple, Mork and Mindy, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley) and in movies (Beaches, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, The Other Sister, The Princess Diaries, Valentine's Day, New year's Eve, etc). He often worked with the same actors – a trusted bond of friendship. While MOTHER'S DAY my not be one of his best films, it completes his trilogy of holiday films and brings the usual warmth and keen observation of interpersonal relationships to play from a richly popular cast of fine actors.

Three generations come together in the week leading up to Mother's Day. Sandy (Jennifer Anniston), a divorcée who has two sons who tries to co-parent with her ex (Timothy Olyphant). But when her ex remarries a girl half her age (Shay Mitchell), she freaks out because she's spending time with her sons and doing things with them that she usually does. Her friend, Jesse (Kate Hudson) is surprised by her parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine) who show up unannounced and they discover who Jesse's Indian husband (Aasif Mandvi) is and he learns that she didn't tell them about him which prompts him to leave, And they also learn whom their other daughter Gabi (Sarah Chalke) Is married to Max (Cameron Esposito) in a lesbian marriage. Kristin (Britt Robertson) is a girl who has a boyfriend Zach (Jack Whitehall) and a child but her boyfriend wants them to go to the next level, marriage but she has unresolved issues which keeps her from taking the plunge and her boyfriend is uncertain how long he can wait. Things change a bit when Kristin discovers who her birth mother is…. Bradley (Jason Sudeikis) is a widower with two daughters, one of whom is a teenager and Bradley finds it hard to accept her new interests like boys and he still misses his wife. It all comes together at Mother's Day – time heals all things.

Also in the cast are Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Anoush NeVart, Jennifer Garner, Jon Lovitz – and many others in small but significant cameos.

Watch for the pleasure of seeing fine actors get a little silly and for the pleasure Garry Marshall brought to the entertainment industry.

Well.... Certainly... It COULD have been WORSE! ...Probably for many of You out there... Reading this Review will be enough for You to throw in the towel and shout...."UNCLE"!

Watching the rather well known lead cast members closely, they more often than not seem to squirm embarrassingly through their on-screen time! There are a couple moments where You just might say to Yourself... AHA! Now Mothers Day is FINALLY taking off!...........

But then..... It just DOESN´T!

Certainly, We cannot lay the blame wholely upon the Aforementioned stellar cast. The general concept of the movie itself just lacked coherence. Especially, when one considers the myriad of specific expectations created by the Title...... MOTHER´s DAY... At times seemed to be going in one direction ...and then would simply do a 180...and go completely in another.... Or WORSE even.... At times seemed to go nowhere at all!

Considering the limitations created by a rather lackluster script and the inability to really define itself in any clear way.... The cast members, despite making a seemingly heoric effort... just had too many hurdles placed in front of them.

Julia Roberts simply didn´t seem to have her heart in this project! (Can anyone really blame her for that???) Jennifer Aniston, whom, as quite a number of critics keep pointing out incessantly, just never seems to be able to deliver any on screen presence... other than that of RACHEL...Just does not convince me otherwise in her characterization rendition here!

Kate Hudson, in my opinion, actually stood out... a bit, at least, in her portrayal of the rather conflicted Jesse. Jason Sudeikis seemed somewhat miscast as the well intentioned, but rather clueless Bradley.

Focusing on a checklist of other crucial production elements.... Let us begin with the limited number of set locations, where the interaction actually takes place. One can only wonder as to why this seemed to be a problem.... Perhaps, the production ran over Budget??? Who knows!?!? The film would have benefited a great deal by mixing it up a bit.... As regards filming locations!

Oddly, is it just me... Or did the lighting, which I hardly EVER notice in a rather big budget Hollywood Production... Seem just a tad off and somewhat unnatural??? Another rare occurence in a Studio Production such as this one... They just couldn´t seem to get the editing right! I got the distinct impression that they were editing and re-editing endlessly, trying rather unsuccessfully, to end up with a much higher quality movie, but failed misrably in their effort!

This film was the very last film Directed by Hollywood legend Garry Marhall. He died just 10 Weeks after Mother´s Day had its theatrical Release! As to whether or not he was able to view his life´s last movie project in a public theater... Sorry, I really don´t know! But, in the grand scheme of things, it just doesn´t make that much difference.... Now Does it??? I spent about 20 minutes glancing over his humongous list of IMDb Credits! (It would have taken me at LEAST an hour to have gone over every detail meticulouly! WOW! This guy was literally involved with hundreds of movies and TV series projects! In just about EVERY and ANY possible capacity You can name!!! O. K...You name it!... Probably, on numerous occasions, Garry Marshall rshall was right there... Doing it! And, more often than not... Doing it spectacularly well!

It is a shame that this one in a million career seemed to have ended on such a rather sour note! At 80 Years of age, while workin on this project, It is not too difficult to imagine with the end of his life...possibly on the event horizon... Who knows what effect such a lloming reality might have had on his ability to perform at his absolute professional best!

Certainly, on paper at least, this movie seemed to be a sure winner! But.... Sadly, as so often is the case... MOTHER´s DAY falls lamentably far below expectation! SORRY! Wish there were a lot more substance here that I could wholeheartedly recommend......... Sadly... for everyone in the film and for all of the viewing public..... ....There simply ISN´T!!! My Rating: 3*** !!!

We went for some light entertainment & knew what to expect and we were NOT DISAPPOINTED ! What do the critics expect - every movie to be a potential Academy Award nominee ? Sometimes I like serious movies, like Spotlight which I enjoyed very much & knew beforehand what I was going to see. Same with this movie; sometimes light entertainment is fine. I knew it wasn't going to be a physical comedy, I knew there were no action scenes and that was fine tonight. It's what I chose to see and we enjoyed it. I also liked Gary Marshall's other two multi-storied, holiday movies even though they were panned by the critics too. Each separate story with different casts are basically short so you're bound to like some of them. I can't see how you could dislike everyone & their story lines. Of course there are corny jokes and references to other movies --so what? Biggest thing with me was that after seeing The Boss on Tuesday, I was not offended by anything in this movie. I was extremely offended by many situations & mostly the language in The Boss. I found The Boss to be extremely offensive hearing such crude sexual references in all the dialogue filled with the F word, etc. This movie has none of that. It's not crude, offensive nor inappropriate for kids and that says a lot about Gary Marshall and his movies.

'MOTHER'S DAY': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

The last film of director Gary Marshall's career (before he passed away in July 2016), is another cheesy 'holiday themed' ensemble romcom (much like his previous two movies 'VALENTINE'S DAY' and 'NEWYEAR'S EVE'). This film revolves around the lives of multiple different mothers (and a single father), with intersecting stories, all set on the week before Mother's Day. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Britt Robertson, Timothy Olyphant, Margo Martindale, Sarah Chalke, Shay Mitchell, Aasif Mandvi, Robert Pine, Hector Elizondo and many others. The film received almost unanimously bad reviews from critics, and it disappointed at the Box Office. I found it to be exactly what I expected it to be.

The movie is set in Atlanta, during the week before Mother's Day. It centers around the lives of Sandy (Aniston), Jesse (Hudson), Miranda (Roberts), Kristin (Robertson) and Bradley (Sudeikis). All of them have to deal with different (sometimes intersecting) family issues, and a few romantic ones as well, as they all prepare for Mother's Day too (in the process). Things become more and more hectic (of course) as the holiday grows closer.

Marshall has directed a few good movies in his long career, like 'PRETTY WOMAN' (also featuring Julia Roberts), but his last three were definitely nothing to be too proud of. The actors in this film have also done much better work (especially Sudeikis). It's not a horrible movie, it's just nothing that memorable. Some mothers (and daughters) might enjoy it though, at least a little more than me (probably).

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OK there are many negative reviews of this movie - I do not think it is meant to be an Oscar nominee. It is a movie about families with different needs/problems/real life issues and it is centered around Mother's Day. Just as Valentine's Day is a big favorite of millions of people - it did not get any Oscars - but it is a movie that people remember. Sometimes that is better. Three families with problems. A one year anniversary for a mother's death, a divorce, and sisters with secrets from parents. and a commitment issue woman wanting to know her birth mother. Of course things get smoothed out - but it was fan watching it all happen. It is move about real life and I appreciate that. The sound track is fun, the pratfalls are OK, but the stories are real. If you have been through a divorce - you will understand. Not a great movie but a believable one.