Katie's Mom

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.

Overall story feels a bit like a first draft but had some fun moments. Main lady and katie's bf were good, but some of the other acting was spotty. Some plot points were way too stereotypical . Like, a woman in her 50s doesn't know about menopause?? You'd expect that coming from male creators, but apparently women wrote this. I guess that was just the easiest way to tie things up (not a surprise given the entire plot is based on a 50 year old movie. They weren't trying to reinvent the wheel here). Also take issue with the happy ending which is so unrealistic. The daughter should cut ties with her mom or intervene because she's clearly mentally ill and needs help. Anyway, iff you watch this and want to stop it after an hour, you won't be alone. Way too long.

This movie really wasn't that bad. I actually watched until the end. This was more watchable than Anne Hathaway's "rom com" called The Idea of You. That movie was horrible in my opinion.

I dont know if I could forgive my mother for what she did. It's hard to imagine being attracted to my child's significant other but I'm sure it's happened more than once.

The movie really did not have to be as long as it was. But other than that if you have time on a Sunday afternoon it is a good time waster.

The brother was a bit odd and overly suspicious which was a little strange but I guess that's what brother do.

The ex-husband was a douche!!! Just saying.

All in all not a bad movie for Tubi standards...

Since the unfortunate death of Nora Ephron we've seen a boatload of D+, not well written romcoms ultimately get glowing reviews just for allowing Anne Hathaway to look and act 24 at 40, and then calling her brave for dating... a 24 year-old. Katie's mom is much better written and it was a relief to see Dina Meyer being a truly beautiful middle aged woman embracing the perks that come with aging, and being appreciated for them by young men. It is an overall imperfect, but highly watchable film. One of the characters overdid it a bit at playing annoying to the point of not inspiring enough sympathy when she experiences long-overdue character growth at the end, and there were a couple trope moments it would have been stronger without.

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.