When thinking about Moms, what comes to mind? They’re superhuman with the ability to juggle multiple things at once, are well put together, have all the answers, are always there for their kids and have the incredible superpower to be a wife, mother, teacher, nurse, chef, housekeeper, nanny and so much more all at the same time. Put it simply, Moms are incredible wonder women; but sometimes, even a Mom needs to cut loose.
Bad Moms is a comedy film from the creators of The Hangover and depicts the joy, struggles and insanity that comes with being a wife and mother.
The film’s plot certainly strikes a chord with most mothers and somewhat resembles the daily lives of most women around the world. Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is an overworked, overstressed, and under-appreciated wife and mother of two, whose days are filled being enslaved to her childish husband and two overachieving children. Exhausted, pushed to the limit and at her wits end, Amy finally snaps and quits her attempts of being the perfect mother. Joining her in the rebellion are Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn). Together, the trio ditch their suffocating and conventional responsibilities for a stint of rambunctious, well-deserved fun.
Of course, no film is complete without its notable villain, who in this case, comes in the form of a Mean Girls-esque trio of wickedly ‘good’ moms. Like Mean Girls‘ ‘plastics’, there’s the perfect, well put together, leader of the pack, Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate), the leader’s number one fan who really adds no value to the team other than to agree with the leader, Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and finally, the ‘stupid’ one, Vicky (Annie Mumolo).
Pitted against each other in the PTA Presidential election, Bad Moms depict the lengths a mother would go to, to protect her young, even if it means throwing a wild, boozy, house party on a school night.
The film is reminiscent of a typical high school comedy where the dorky underdogs overcome adversity to topple over the popular cheerleaders, changing up the status quo and making high school a much more equal and fun place. Bad Moms simply takes this formula, ages the cast up by a couple of decades, and throws in a couple of life lessons. The film even includes the standard hottie that the lead ends up with.
Comedy wise, Bad Moms brings about laughs that almost feels naughty. Where The Hangover‘s style of humour appeals to men, Bad Moms utilises stereotypes and the very nature of being female to hook women. The exaggerated way in which Amy and her gang let loose is remarkably hilarious, Kiki in particular, who plays the enslaved, lonely mother of four well. Despite being almost stereotypical of most soccer moms who take way too much on for the sake of their children, the depiction of what mothers go through for their family is something we should all think about. Even though the film portrays a Mom as being overworked in a comedic way, the sacrifices a Mom makes and the unconditional love she has for her children is not one to take lightly and definitely comes through as an important lesson in the film.
Bad Moms has all the makings of a good comedy, however, the one key aspect the film lacks is seamless continuity. It was interesting to see the film go in different directions throughout the course of the two hours with varying sub-plots being jumbled up and being rushed to a conclusion. If this doesn’t make sense now, it will when you’ve seen the film.
All in all, Bad Moms is a film that works as a no-brainer, slightly lewd, comedy that will have you laughing and wanting to call your mother. A fun film, it’s the perfect way to remind us of the stereotypical roles that have been defined for us and informs us that it’s okay to not fit the mould and follow the status quo. Moms are just humans too.