Fun Mom Dinner

Movie Name: Fun Mom Dinner
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Alethea Jones

Stars: Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Bridget Everett, Adam Scott, Rob Huebel, Adam Levine, Paul Rust, David Wain, Paul Rudd
Genre: Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
View Trailer

Synopsis:

Following a career of directing TV shows and shorts, "Fun Mom Dinner" is director Alethea Jones first feature film. The film is the first film from writer Julie Rudd (who is married to well known actor Paul Rudd, who also cameos in this film). The film follows the story of 4 mothers, whose children all go to the same school, and who all decide to have a fun night out, including dinner and some drinks. Initially in the group is divorcee Jamie and her best friend, the funny Melanie. They both invite Emily who is going through a rough patch in her marriage, and she brings along the resistant Kate, her high school best friend, who has no interest in hanging out with these two other women. As the night progresses, this group gets involved in some pratfalls, all the while learning a bit more about each other.
"Fun Mom Dinner" is a film that tries desperately to be a R-rated comedy companion to Paul Feig's "Bridesmaids". Sadly it's a film that lacks the bite, the humor, the heart, to effectively engage the viewer to be invested in the lives of these 4 women. All central characters are poorly developed, and aren't much more than cardboard variations of common place cliches, and ultimately the situations that are generated, simply aren't comical or engaging. For all the high jinks that are depicted, the film feels tame, safe, when it truly needed more of heartfelt satire tone. The cast populated with impeccable actors, are wasted in lifeless and forgettable roles. A passable effort.