Motherhood has a great premise and a great lead actress, but its problem stems from the fact that it picks the wrong setting and character for a movie like this. I have been waiting for a film about a mother, of maybe two, living in a bad neighborhood on Welfare with no husband struggling to make end's meet. I don't wish that on anybody, but I feel if someone with great talent, maybe John Singleton, worked on the project it'd be a worth seeing film with a great message and great performances.
I don't see why we should have sympathy for Uma Thurman when her character is clearly just having a bad day, or a bad week. She lives in a sizable apartment in West Village, New York, has another for that matter, a good, consistent blog, and a nice family. She's doing way better than I am, yet she wants sympathy because she's been running around for one day trying to organize a birthday party for her kid.
Yes, Uma Thurman plays Eliza, a mother who is trying to give her daughter the best sixth birthday party ever. Her absent minded husband Avery (Edwards) is a classic book collector who means well, but sort of clueless. So she is left to try and construct this party by herself with numerous things going wrong.
I'm in no way saying motherhood is an easy thing. It's probably grueling some days, but enlightening on others. Eliza is simply having a bad day. When mother's have young kids, they want to give them the world on their birthdays. They want them to be happy. Planning a party for a six year old is harder than planning one for a thirteen year old. When you're six, you get what's best. When you're thirteen, you want this, that, this, that, and don't forget that.
I have minor sympathy for this slump Eliza is in, but she lives in West Village of all places. For those unfamiliar, it's a very nice and expensive Village in New York. Obviously, you're not living in a slum and are doing pretty well for yourself. Again, not to sound like I'm jealous, but if you have enough money to afford West Village, you obviously have enough money to work something out for your daughter's party.
Despite comments online, I went into Motherhood with my head held high. I thought it might surpass some of the extreme hate it's getting on some sites. Then when I saw character development is weak, the realism among Eliza's friends is slim, and Uma Thurman's appearance in almost every shot of this movie when she isn't playing that great of a character, I lost interest fast.
Starring: Uma Thurman and Anthony Edwards. Directed by: Katherine Dieckmann.
