Motherhood

2009 "There are no time-outs in..."
4.6| 1h30m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 21 January 2009 Released
Producted By: John Wells Productions
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Info

In Manhattan, a mother of two preparing for her daughter's sixth birthday party has no idea of the challenges she's about to face in order to pull off the event.

Genre

Drama, Comedy

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Motherhood (2009) is currently not available on any services.

Director

Katherine Dieckmann

Production Companies

John Wells Productions

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Motherhood Audience Reviews

Console best movie i've ever seen.
ShangLuda Admirable film.
Cleveronix A different way of telling a story
Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
gekkelex i personally liked it and i watch loads of movies, it might not be a movie to watch in the cinema but it's more than okay to watch on DVD, i like movies that appear to be situated in cities and show a lot of the city, i don't know new york personally but liked the way it was portrayed in this movie, i also thought it was fun to watch, at least it's different than most moviesi thought it was believable that moms have those kinds of days and experience things like she did, driven to frustration by the complete situation, and feelings of being taken for granted trying to cope with being not just a mom but also a woman, must not be taken lightly i guess, it sure broadened my respect for some moms, but that's just me or is it?
Roland E. Zwick Eliza Welsh is what one of the characters in "Motherhood" refers to derisively as an "urban mom." That is to say a young woman who lives in an upscale part of town (in this case, Greenwich Village), has a hoard of New Age-y mom friends who obsess over the ins-and-outs of successful childrearing, and herself hosts a blog dedicated to - what else? - how to survive the rigors of young motherhood without sacrificing one's identity as a woman, as a wife and as an individual. It's a battle that Eliza seems to be losing at the moment, but at least she's giving it the old college try.Written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann, this seriocomic tale takes place on the day before Eliza's oldest child is to turn six. Filled with mixed emotions at the event and saddled with a husband (Anthony Edwards) who seems more focused on his own needs than those of his wife, Eliza struggles with arranging a birthday party, dodging parking tickets, coping with a studio-shoot on her street, looking out for her elderly neighbor, and raising a toddler - all while trying to carve out a little time for herself to write and to do all the things adults (those without children, at least) normally do in the course of their days.Dieckmann's screenplay is filled with both poignancy and humor as it deftly explores the life of this harried mother. Uma Thurman, in a tour-de-force performance, captures both the manic energy and utter exhaustion of the nonstop merry-go-round that her character finds herself riding on; and she is fully supported by Edwards as her husband, Minnie Driver as her closest girlfriend, and Arjun Fupta ("Nurse Jackie") as a sexy delivery boy who, for a brief moment at least, allows Eliza to let her hair down a bit and to see the heart of the vibrant, sexy, carefree woman that still beats beneath all the motherly obsessions and concerns.Although it's ultimately a bit too slight in the drama department for it to rise much above the level of a bemusing curiosity, "Motherhood" still has some valid insights to make about its subject.
Gordon-11 This film is about a mother's hectic day, trying to fit everything she has to do in just 24 hours."Motherhood" details what a mother of two has to do in a day, from housework, organising her daughter's birthday party, shopping and writing. The events seem ordinary, but it successfully highlights the stress of being a mother and a housewife. It's a job that has no off office hours, no breaks and no days off. Their demands and difficulties of their roles are often underestimated and unappreciated. It reminds us that people need encouragement and acknowledgment to survive the mundane routine. It reminds us not to take love for granted.
DICK STEEL The Bride now becomes the Mom and that somehow didn't translate quite well for local audiences, given the limited release which so far hasn't gained much traction if going by the looks of the session I attended. Hopefully this should still find a niche market amongst the mothers here for the issues raised that would strike a chord, which is about just what Motherhood means, unless of course like Uma Thurman's Eliza, the real moms out there are too bogged down by their tasks to find time to take in a movie.Written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann and set in Manhattan, New York, there might be a few topics and incidents raised that are location specific, but these offer a kind of slice of life peek into urban living in the big apple, and the challenges faced with raising kids in the city. For instance, I cannot fathom how parking could be that much of an issue and hassle, despite experiencing parking woes here as well in a different capacity. And being a film in NY, it has its rudimentary quirks pointing back at film that we rarely take into consideration, such as the inconveniences posed by film crews to the residents when doing location shoots, or hilarious put, the "mama"-razzis who naturally point and shoot with their cameras when a celebrity mom pass their way (look out for Jodie Foster's cameo!)But those aside, Motherhood unfolds over a single day, following Eliza as she packs in a hectic schedule from the time she wakes up, until the time she goes to bed. It's the same for all moms I suppose, with the natural maternal instincts kicking in and their family obligations and responsibility go into overdrive to take care of, and provide. Through a single day, the story examines what Motherhood essentially means, and the multi-facets involved that just demands excellent multi-tasking skills, with each assignment for the day requiring extreme focus, from grocery shopping to picking up the kids, and worse for Eliza, having to organize a birthday party for her 6 year old Clara (Daisy Tahan).Which is surprising that she still finds the time to blog, but that serves as therapy, and a plot device to tell all that she still can't get the writer out of her, and through an advertised contest, has taken upon herself to submit a piece on Motherhood in order to secure a regular writing column that pays well. After all, their household requires additional income to augment that of her husband's (Anthony Edwards) who seem to disappear and not lend a hand around the house – the opening montage would make some feel quite guilty – and one wonders just how much patience mothers actually have in tolerating non-assistance, or when they will actually cry out for help should they snap.One often forget that parenting is a full time job, full of repetitive, and often menial tasks that calls for plenty of endurance, skill, and Love, a key essential ingredient without which everything else would seem quite impossible. Besides exalting the virtues of Motherhood, the film also reminds that it doesn't mean one has to give up one's dreams to take care of the family, though sacrifices are called for from time to time in parenting. Uma Thurman plays the frenzied Eliza perfectly, looking quite geeky with her spectacles, and her messy hairdo, and with that level of edginess that threatens to explode at any unsuspecting victim who unwittingly crosses her path.But what took the cake is the hypocrisy that Eliza sometimes lapses into, which makes her all the more human and believable, and I wonder just how many of us are guilty as charged where we tend to take care of our own by expecting values out of others, yet be able to turn around and violate the same without much thought. Live and let live goes the mantra.While not perfect and with scenes that curiously stick out, such as the extended episode with the delivery guy (Arjun Gupta) that seemed to want to suggest something of a subplot that needed to head a certain direction, then backed out, this film still has pretty much what it takes to talk about its main theme, but perhaps something more fun will be to learn about or trade stories and experiences with real moms. And save on the ticket cost, unless you're a fan of Uma Thurman of course.