Bad Moms

Bad Moms

Starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate

Directed by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

What is the movie about?
Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is the perfect mom - making her kids breakfast, taking them to school, sports functions and school plays, actively involved in the PTA, work a demanding job where she's the oldest person there, makes healthy lunches, does her children's homework and finds the only thing she's really good at is being late to everything.

When she finds her husband cheating on her with a girl on the Internet, she decides to live life a little more carelessly, and joined by single mother Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and fellow overworked mother Kiki (Kristen Bell), they decide to let loose and live a little and allow themselves to be "bad moms" - moms who don't have it all together, who are real and who try to be less perfect.

This angers overbearing, controlling PTA leader Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate), especially when Amy decides to run against her and garners popularity from the other mothers who are also tired of trying to be perfect, and she sets out to ruin Amy by going after the one thing she really cares about - her children.

Who is involved in the movie? 
Mila Kunis stars as Amy Mitchell, a mother who at one point in time acted like she has it all together, but realizes that it's more important to be real than perfect.  She plays a great role here as a caring mother and also a young woman who never really got to live her life on her own terms, and realizes that she can do both.
Kristen Bell (who reunites with Kunis after "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") stars as Kiki, a woman who is controlled by her husband and also raising four rowdy children.  She never gets out, and doesn't have any friends until she connects with Amy and Carla, and finally allows herself to live.  She plays the innocent, naive woman who never really experienced the world, and finally sees it for all it has to offer.
Kathryn Hahn plays Carla, the man-hungry, foul-mouthed, alcoholic single mother who loves having a good time and finding a good-looking guy.  She could fall under the typecast of the terrible mother because of this, but she also blends her wild side with a deeply sentimental side when she talks about her son, and even though she hates going to his stupid baseball games, she still loves him and it adds a deeper depth to her character.
Christina Applegate stars as Gwendolyn, the PTA leader who is (from what I've heard) only a little more over-dramatic than your typical PTA leader.  She rules the school with an iron fist, demands things go her way, and has no empathy for anyone.  Christina Applegate has been a comedic mainstay since her work on "Married With Children" and it's interesting to see her take on a villainous role, but still remaining as funny as ever.
The film is written and directed by the comedic pairing of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who also penned and directed another well-known comedic classic.  You might've heard of it, it's called "The Hangover."  Once again, they manage to bring their comedic timing and raunchy humor to another hilarious film. 

Why should you see this movie?
When it comes to comedies, I must admit it's not my favorite genre.  It's extremely formulaic, and pretty much every comedy follows a certain flow:
-We meet the characters and have some humorous interactions with them, endearing them to us and making them people we either love or love to hate;
-We are introduced to a situation that the main character has to deal with;
-We see the character dealing with the situation, often in the most outlandish, over-the-top way;
-We view the outcome of how the character dealt with the situation, usually resulting in things becoming worse than before;
-We witness the character rebound with an epic, rousing speech that brings everyone together;
-We're gifted with the most perfect outcome where everyone lives happily ever after

While "Bad Moms" sticks to this formula, it's able to rise above it and become something that's not only laugh-out-loud, but sentimental and touching as well, and that's due in no small part to the excellent directing and writing - especially by two men who nail what it's like to try to be the "perfect mom" - but also in the stellar casting choices.

The natural chemistry Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn is nothing short of exceptional, especially in dealing with a female-centric raunchy comedy.  Not since "Bridesmaids" has there been a better ensemble cast to handle situations that are more connected to men than women.  Each character has the pitfall of becoming a one-dimensional caricature, but due to excellent writing and delivery manage to become fully-embodied characters we associate and care for.

Kunis is the brains behind the operation, the mom who has only been with one man her entire life and is learning to get out there again (including a hilarious montage of her trying to flirt with men at the bar), while formulating a plan to run for PTA leader to show that not all moms are perfect.  Bell is the loner mom who has been controlled by her man and does everything for her children and doesn't live for herself, but soon also realizes she doesn't have to be perfect.  Hahn steals the show as the carefree, flirtatious single mother who doesn't care about what others think of her and lives life to the fullest, but also has a deep, undying love for her son.  Even Christina Applegate manages to rise above the typical villainous PTA leader and deliver some out-of-the-park one-liners.

While the story is easy, the ending is typical and there's nothing really new the film adds to the world of comedy, "Bad Moms" still serves up laughs thanks to a stellar cast, humorous writing and even a little heart.

When should you see this movie? 
When you're looking for a laugh-out-loud raunchy comedy about the pressures of being the perfect mom and finally realizing you don't have to be perfect.

Where does the movie fall on the grading scale?
A-