MOTHER
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1996 U.S. Release Date: 12/25/96 (limited), 1/10/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:45 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes, mild profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Albert Brooks, Debbie Reynolds, Rob Morrow Director: Albert Brooks Producer: Scott Rudin and Herb Nanas Screenplay: Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson Cinematography: Lajos Koltai Music: Marc Shaiman U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures
"There are two kinds of mothers on the planet. The first kind thinks that every single thing their children do is perfect and their children are God's gift to the world. And then there's the other kind. [MOTHER] is about the other kind." -- Albert Brooks
In discussing the pantheon of living American motion picture funny men, names like Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, and Eddie Murphy are likely to surface. A man who's rarely mentioned, however, is Albert Brooks, one of this country's most underrated comics. Brooks, who started his public life as a standup comedian before moving into writing, directing, and acting in feature films, has done screen work every bit as hilarious as any of the aforementioned names, and his latest effort, MOTHER, proves that he's quite capable of bouncing back from a failure (1994's THE SCOUT, which he co-wrote and starred in, but did not direct).
In the formula-laden playground of modern comedies, MOTHER comes as a breath of fresh air. Unlike most of 1996's so-called "laugh fests", this one relies on smart humor rather than slapstick, puns, and dumb jokes with quick payoffs. Brooks doesn't use the AIRPLANE approach to comedy. His films aren't loaded with hit-and-miss gags. The director/writer strives for quality over quantity, and when he wants the audience to laugh, they generally do so.
MOTHER doesn't have much of a plot. In fact, what little story there is functions mostly as a framing device for two good performances and a stream of rich, intelligent dialogue. Brooks has a keen eye for comedy in normal, natural situations. Much of the humor in this film works because we can relate to it. Regardless of your race, class, or creed, many of the situations represented in MOTHER will have a familiar feel.
Brooks plays John Henderson, a forty year old B-grade science fiction writer (his published books include PLANET SEVEN and PLANET EIGHT) who is going through his second divorce. For John, this is only the latest in a long line of failed relationships. In the words of a friend he meets at a bar (John C. McGinley), "You've gotta know what you're looking for [in a woman], and you don't have a clue." After a great deal of soul-searching, John decides that to better understand women, he needs to investigate his strained relationship with his mother, Beatrice (Debbie Reynolds). So, much to the surprise of his friends and his younger brother, Jeff (Rob Morrow), he decides to move back into his childhood home in Sausalito and live with her. Thus begins an odyssey of mother/son bonding that not even John is prepared for.
It would have been easy for Brooks' script (co-written by Monica Johnson) to treat Mrs. Henderson as a caricature. Most comedies would have opted for that route, I think. The result might have been funny, but it wouldn't have been as meaningful. As the film progresses, Beatrice is allowed to fill out into a full-fledged character, complete with her own desires, dashed hopes, and simmering dreams. We, like John, gradually recognize why she reacts to him the way she does.
Although MOTHER boasts a host of hilarious one-liners, the best moments are the extended episodes that delve into everyday life. One features John's attempt to start an intelligent conversation with a vacuous date (FRIENDS' Lisa Kudrow). There are also the scenes with Mom: a trip to the grocery store, an excursion through the mall, and an afternoon at the zoo. All of these sequences could have been short, but Brooks allows them to develop and play out naturally, letting the comedy bubble to the surface rather than escape in one sudden, contrived explosion.
While Brooks is solid and likable as John, the scene-stealer is Debbie Reynolds, who is taking on her first starring role since the '70s. Reynolds, who is probably best remembered as the leading lady in SINGING IN THE RAIN, sparkles as Beatrice, bringing a quality to this role that will make some motherly aspect instantly recognizable to nearly everyone in the audience. Rob Morrow (LAST DANCE), an actor of limited range and passable talent who hasn't impressed me since his television to film transition, is well-cast as John's obnoxious, shallow brother.
Admittedly, MOTHER has a weak beginning and ending, but the material in between is what makes it worth watching. This probably isn't the funniest or most inventive comedy of the year, but it gets high marks in both categories. From the parody of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" to the scenes of Beatrice attempting to work a video- phone, MOTHER represents more than just another carbon-copy, unfunny comedy.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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