Mother (1996)
86%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Albert Brooks’ pugnacious insight is in fine form throughout Mother, a gentle showcase for the comedic curmudgeon and a sweetly acidic Debbie Reynolds
Mother is a film that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even call your own mom afterwards. With a standout performance from Reynolds and a script that hits close to home for anyone with a complicated relationship with their parents, this movie is a must-watch. Sure, there are some moments that might make you squirm, but that’s just part of the fun. And who knew that Brooks had it in him to create such a heartwarming and hilarious film? Mother proves that even the most dysfunctional families can find a way to come together in the end.
Production Company(ies)
Morgan Creek Entertainment, Davis-Films, August Entertainment,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
Year of Release
1996
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Stereo Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:16:9 HD
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Runtime:1h 44m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1996 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 13, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Albert Brooks, Debbie Reynolds, Rob Morrow, Lisa Kudrow, John C McGinley, Isabel Glasser, Herb Nanas, Scott Rudin, directed by Albert Brooks, written by Albert Brooks, comedy, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, David Edelstein, Paul Tatara, David Ansen, Bob Thomas, Caroline Westbrook, Dennis Schwartz, Emanuel Levy, Chuck O’Leary, Frank Swietek, Scott Weinberg, Michael Dequina, mother-son relationship, dating, moving back in with parents, relationships, family dynamics, coming of age, midlife crisis, humor, satire, product placements, Debbie Reynolds comeback, Albert Brooks’ pugnacious insight, comedic curmudgeon, sweetly acidic, mercurially comedic performance, stifled passions, rigidly refined habits, minimalism, edgily sweet comedy, ancient theme, smart modern spin, painful truthful ironies, clash of personalities, hilarious moments
Worldwide gross: $19,145,198
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $19,145,198
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Debbie Reynolds – Beatrice Henderson
Rob Morrow – Jeff Henderson
Lisa Kudrow – Linda
John C. McGinley – Carl
Isabel Glasser – Cheryl Henderson
Director(s)
Albert Brooks
Writer(s)
Albert Brooks
Producer(s)
Herb Nanas, Scott Rudin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (5)
Reynolds’s exquisitely calibrated, mercurially comedic performance reveals the stifled passions that inform a lifetime of rigidly refined habits.
September 14, 2020
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Brooks’ minimalism can be amazingly jampacked, but Mother is perilously slack.
June 5, 2020
David Edelstein
Slate
TOP CRITIC
What’s really surprising here is that Brooks has finally discovered the very human heart beating beneath his trademark malcontent.
June 5, 2020
Paul Tatara
CNN.com
TOP CRITIC
In its deceptively modest way, this edgily sweet comedy gets closer to the bone of mother-son relationships than many a more solemn opus.
December 7, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Brooks has created his best work so far. His oddball comedy has sometimes missed the target, but with Mother he has chosen an ancient theme and given it a smart, modern spin.
January 17, 2018
Bob Thomas
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
Reynolds is in sparkling form and the script teems with painfully truthful ironies.
October 7, 2010
Caroline Westbrook
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
For the most part its droll humor rubbed me the right way despite its pat facile conclusion and all the product placements.
September 26, 2012 | Rating: B
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
For people who believe that a grown-up son can never go home again, Brook’s serio comedy, one of the few Hollywood pictures dealing with mother-son relationship in a poignant way, came as a surprise; Debbie Reynolds in a comeback turn is great.
December 27, 2006 | Rating: B
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
September 28, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Chuck O’Leary
Fantastica Daily
July 1, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
Frank Swietek
One Guy’s Opinion
Off-putting and uncomfortable … but still pretty funny.
April 17, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com
The clash of personalities that ensues produces some truly hilarious moments.
January 7, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com…
Plot
Ted Mosby sits down with his kids, to tell them the story of how he met their mother. The story is told through memories of his friends Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney Stinson. All legendary 9 seasons lead up to the moment of Ted’s final encounter with “the one.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Debbie Reynolds gives a “sweetly acidic” performance in Mother, according to the critics consensus on Fresh Kernels.
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