Mommy

Thinking this low-budget "horror / thriller" to be along the lines of the chilling "Stepfather" films, I decided to watch it, but instead, I felt like I was prying on someone's personal life! The quality of the film was so unbelievably low, it was as if the film was made on someone's handi-cam - you could almost reach out and touch the bad upholstery at "Mommy's" house.

With the exception of the esteemed Majel Barrett I had never heard of any of the cast in this film, which is somewhat surprising, as there were a couple of good actors, while the rest just seemed like locals the director / writer had somehow managed to rope into being in his film. What Majet was doing in this film is beyond me. Patty McCormack was a little bit OTT, but she certainly showed off her character's malign temperament. Rachel Lemieux was harmless, but it's easy to see why she never amounted to anything in the film industry (which I feel rather sorry for her). Brinke Stevens was the surprise, as she was rather good as "Mommy's" kind sister. Jason Miller (R.I.P.) was good as the detective investigating the strange goings-ons surrounding "Mommy", and Sarah Jane Miller was a riot as the janitor.

If you are going to watch this film, be warned, and don't expect too much - because overall, it doesn't amount to much, though that is not for lack of trying.

Pros: A thriller that is somewhat suitable for family viewing. Cons: Really amateurish in both concept & execution. Perfect Audience: Fans of cheapjack crime thrillers & Patty McCormack.

The Story: After her teacher is found dead in her classroom after having an argument with her tightly-wound & highly ambitious mother, Jessica Ann Sterling begins to believe that her mother could be a serial killer.

Max Allan Collins is a writer who specialises in true-life crime novels, TV shows & even trading cards. In the early 1990s he decided to become a filmmaker, taking the decision to adapt one of his short stories into a feature film. For the title role, he picked none other than Patty McCormack, the actress who as a young girl played eleven-year-old serial killer Rhoda Penmark in the 1956 classic The Bad Seed. Thirty-four years later & McCormack is back doing what she does best - playing somebody who is nice on the outside but a mean & ruthless mother on the inside.

Despite the amateurish nature of the production (if this was left in the hands of a much more professional & seasoned director, it would have been a minor classic), McCormack pretty much rules the show as the ruthlessly determined Mommy Sterling, conquering all before her with her sociopathic performance & Brinke Stevens, one of the classic 1980s Scream Queens & a capable actress herself, plays the counterpoint as McCormack's plain-Jane sister. While I had some doubts about the decision by Collins to give young Rachel Lemieux dialogue that is too advanced for somebody her age to handle (it makes her sound like a teenager or young adult) without losing credibility, the story is a fairly serviceable one & Collins succeeds in making an interestingly average thriller that is somehow also suitable for family viewing... Who would imagine something like that?

Violence & Gore: Some killings that are basic - teacher falls off a ladder, a janitor electrocuted, a shooting - without any gore being displayed.

Sexuality & Nudity: Nothing like that here.

Yes, it is low budget, and yes it is shot on video for the direct to DVD market but I've seen much, much, worse. I can only imagine that the critics of this movie went into it with the wrong expectations.

Patty McCormack is great as the deranged Mommy, her performance is definitely over the top, just as it should be in this kind of movie. She's acting as hard as she can and it is not a role which calls for subtlety. Rachel Lemieux may not be the most accomplished actress in the world - but she's less annoying than most children in low budget films. It's also nice to see Brinke Stevens in a (more or less) dramatic role.

If you are looking for a high quality movie with lots of drama, gore, and topless Brinke Stevens, this is definitely not it. However, if you're looking for something kind of campy which you can enjoy making fun of (in an MST3K kind of way) then you could do a lot worse than this.

This is not really a follow-up to Bad Seed. Patty McCormick does reprise her role in a way, but it's a different character. If you wanna use your imagination, and interpret things your own way, here's some food for thought. I like to imagine that this is Rhoda all grown up, with a name and identity change. Anyway, Patty McCormick is obsessed with her 12 year old daughter. She will kill anyone, or anything that gets in her way. When she finds out her daughter didn't win Student of the Year Award, she offs her teacher. An investigator goes undercover to get to the truth of the story. The meat of this story is Mommy & the daughter Jessica. They are both riveting to watch, and I enjoyed the creepy interactions. Rachel Lemuix does a heck of a job as the daughter, and puts many kid actors to shame with her excellent performance. Not only is she sympathetic, but very talented. I wonder where she is now? Patty McCormick is fantastic in her role. Her galvanizing presence and her creepy obsession chilled me to the bone. Brinke Stevens has a bit of a pivotal part as McCormick's sister, and lends good support. The low budget can't be ignored. It looks extremely cheap, but the effort is there, and I have to give it credit. The ending sets up a sequel, and a sequel did commence, called Mommy's Day. I've not been able to find it, though

Final Thoughts: If you can find it, you may enjoy yourself more than you thought you would.

6.3/10

Forget Blair Witch or the flavor of the month at the nearest artsy film festival. This is the definition of Independent. Shot on a shoestring in Muscatine, IA, this semi-sequel to The Bad Seed (Mommy is never named, but the parallel is obvious) is a character-driven study of a young girl discovering her perfect mother is just plain evil. The casting is clever, especially scream queen Brinke Stevens doing an about face as Mommy's "Plain-Jane" sister Beth. I highly recommend Max's novelisation, which fleshes out the back story. Also look for Max and his band playing at the dance.