Katie's Mom

There are a lot of reasons you might dislike the characters in Katie's Mom, but you end up incredibly charmed by all of them by the end.

I've seen this movie four times and I find more reasons to love it each time. All of the relationships are excellently layered and fleshed out in a way that makes you feel part of the family--which in this case is definitely complicated, hahaha!

The story really builds and moves, never lagging. It's obviously not your typical rom com, but it definitely scratches that itch with a subversive twist in this modern nod to The Graduate from Mrs. Robinson's perspective.

Dina Meyer stars in the 2023 comedy Katie;s Mom. I was interested in this film when it made some noise at various film festivals last year. I was wondering why it did not get distribution but I managed to see it this weekend on Tubi.

The movie has a sultry plot when a recently divorced mother has an affair with her daughter's boyfriend. They realize it's wrong, the daughter gets hurt but mom finds herself as she starts out on a new adventure around the world.

One problem, no one seems to really get hurt.

Ms. Meyer, in her mid-50s when she shot this project, still looks very pretty and has long since won the genetics lottery. Here, her character is living in the Southern California home that she obtained in her divorce from her ... wait for it... Plastic Surgeon ex-husband. It comes with an in-ground lap pool and wonderful views.

The publicity, for this movie, said it is like The Graduate, as told from Mrs. Robinson's point of view. If you recall that classic film, Director Mike Nicols kept the then 36 year old Anne Bancroft away from the daily rushes because she was being filmed to look so beat up that he feared seeing what was being done to her would soar her on the project. Alias, no such ugly stick beatings would work with Dina Meyer.

Therefore, I wish she had been poor. It would have been something to provide sympathy for her character's attempt at showing sorrow. Also, it would have distracted us from examining the plot's attempts to mimic An Unmarried Woman, Breakfast At Tiffany's and the aforementioned 1967 classic of the true mother/daughter house.

I recently watched this film on Tubi, and what a ride! Dina Meyer was perfectly cast in the role of a recently divorced loving mother finding herself in the riskiest manner possible. I didn't expect to find myself rooting for her, but because of the nuanced writing and spectacular performance, I was with her all the way. The whole cast was talented and they gelled like a real family. It was a delightful reinvention of a classic story from a perspective not always centered in cinema. It's rare to find a laugh out loud romantic comedy these days. I can't wait to see what's next from these filmmakers.

Women over 40 are complex and sexy. These characters, their problems, feel very real. This movie is well worth your time -- fresh and original, yet a re-imagining: The Graduate was an important movie, and so is this one.

It's far more nuanced than an older woman-younger man story. What emerges is a story about self-knowledge and self-discovery.

It's valuable to see someone center a woman's perspective on screen, and it makes sense that a woman director did such a masterful job at it. Great production value, and, honestly -- a great run time. The film is incredibly well paced, which is a rarity.

A mom who has a fling with her daughter's boyfriend sounds like a terrible person, and how is this a comedy? I loved this film and watched it twice - it's very funny and turns surprisingly emotional when the mom and daughter must face the consequences. Some reviewers mentioned a happy ending - not quite. The great script and acting make you accept the mom's tryst as inevitable, you enjoy the seduction happening, and kind of root for it because the main character - Dina, the mom, is likable and clearly needs a shot of dopamine to get out of a funk. The boyfriend is charming in a good way - he wants everyone to be happy. This is a fresh Indie take on comedy-drama. Nothing feels formulaic. Some California references or culture might have been lost on me - but that's why I watch foreign films! I highly recommend this.