Mum Movies: Motherhood

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Uma Thurman stars in this 2009 movie that tells the story of one day in a Manhattan's mother's life.  Eliza (Uma Thurman) is mum to Clara (celebrating her sixth birthday that day) and Lucas (2) and married to Avery (Anthony Edwards - from E.R. fame).  They live on the second floor of an apartment block with an elderly neighbour that they look after too.

This movie got (sadly) slammed by reviewers so you may never have even heard of it.  Uma Thurman is gorgeous but she still manages to look harried and dishevelled for most of the movie - she conveys the 'on-the-edgeness' of mothering.  Where there is so much to do but so many factors can conspire against you to result in a successful outcome.  She lugs shopping up to her apartment with the toddler in a backpack - all looks appropriately exhausting!

Eliza is trying to put together a birthday party for her daughter that afternoon after school.  Her husband is vague and refuses to answer his phone.  She ends up without her car - because of on street parking challenges (I related to this one having lived in the inner city for two years with our tribe).  So she finds herself cycling to the shops to buy all the last minute ingredients for her party.  In the middle of all this manages to have a fight with her best friend (played by a pregnant Minnie Driver) because of something stupid she writes on her blog.

I enjoyed it and even though it's not perfect, it's nice to see a movie where there is an attempt to at least convey some of the reality of being a mum.


Comments

Motherhugger said…
I just watched this. I was a little thrilled to see mention of Mamapalooza (Yay!) and hear The Go-Betweens in the soundtrack. It isn't perfect, but is in keeping with the momoirs and blogs I've read over the past ten years or so.
Not high stakes, like most indi films. I don't know why it tanked so badly. I'm thinking.
April 15, 2012 at 11:24 PM
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