Fun Mom Dinner

With humor falling somewhere between the raunchfest of Bad Moms and the squeaky-clean Moms' Night Out, this comedy features talented actors but doesn't really revitalize a tired, predictable concept. Directed by Alethea Jones and based on a script by Julie Rudd (whose husband Paul makes a silly cameo as the Orthodox marijuana dispensary owner), Fun Mom Dinner does little to dispel the notion that motherhood, like high school, is basically full of types: the type A organizer, the cool girl who's too hip to bother, the sweet and accommodating nerd, the most likely to succeed, and so on. At the very least, though, the women -- unlike many teen girls in movies -- do manage to overcome their petty differences and recognize that they each have something to contribute to the others.

Comedian Everett stands out with her scene-stealing antics and loud proclamations, whereas Shannon stays subdued in a much quieter role. Aselton (far tamer here than in The League) is pretty much the everywoman who can't figure out how to deal with her new identity and keep the fire burning in her marriage. Adam Levine has a supporting role as a hunky bar owner who flirts with Emily. And Collette (as Kate, the "edgy" one who regularly smokes pot and performs sex acts on her husband during Jimmy Kimmel) still isn't nearly as out there as Kathryn Hahn in Bad Moms. It's appreciated that the movie doesn't try to desperately throw a bunch of shocking full-frontal scenes or graphic jokes in the mix to get a laugh. But it still fails to be as fun as intended.