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Life of the Party
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Talented cast can't save rowdy comedy; lots of drinking.
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What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Life of the Party
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Based on 14 parent reviews
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Good but not sutibal for kids
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What's the Story?
LIFE OF THE PARTY stars Melissa McCarthy as Deanna, a newly divorced woman who returns to college to finally finish her bachelor's degree. Moments after Deanna and her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh), drop off their only daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon), at her sorority house at Decatur University for her senior year, Dan announces that he's in love with another woman and wants out of their marriage. Devastated, Deanna decides that she needs to return to Decatur to complete her archaeology studies; the first time around she dropped out after getting pregnant. So Deanna moves on to campus and hangs out with Maddie, who's initially hesitant but grows to love having her mom around all the time. Maddie's sorority sisters also love Deanna, who mothers them all. She even gets involved in a May-December romance with a handsome frat guy named Jack (Luke Benward).
Is It Any Good?
McCarthy is an undeniably talented comedian, but this formulaic college comedy collaboration with her writer-director husband Ben Falcone falls short of her potential. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments, mostly courtesy of McCarthy's chemistry with on-screen best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph). Their scenes together are natural and funny, the two actresses appearing to ad-lib. Saturday Night Live cast member Heidi Gardner is also amusing as Deanna's intimidating roommate. But there's a lot that either falls flat or comes off as a copycat of so many other movies. For example, the age of Gillian Jacobs' character, Helen, is explained away as the result of an eight-year-long coma. The resulting "coma girl" jokes are neither funny nor necessary when there are plenty of older college students who haven't experienced severe brain injuries.
Viewers of a certain age will remember the classic Rodney Dangerfield movie Back to School, a pivotal '80s comedy about a rags-to-riches millionaire who returns to college to bond with his son. Perhaps it's a sign of age and nostalgia, but Life of the Party is far less funny or memorable than that comedy. For one, the only class we see Deanna attend is an archaeology class taught by her punny former classmate-turned-academic, played by Chris Parnell. And while Dangerfield's romance was with an age-appropriate professor (Sally Kellerman), here Deanna robs the cradle and sleeps (repeatedly) with a college-aged guy her daughter's age. It would've felt more true had the frat guy been a one-night stand and the true love interest be Parnell's character. As it is, it's sweet that McCarthy and Falcone enjoy working together, but they have yet to make a movie as good as their individual talents.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Deanna is a good role model in Life of the Party. What character strengths does she display? What makes her so beloved not only by her daughter but also by most of the sorority?
Talk about the drinking and drug use in the movie. Is it realistic? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Have you seen other movies about adults returning to college or high school? What do you think makes it such an appealing theme/premise?
Does the movie reinforce stereotypes about the Greek system and sororities or undermine them? How are they depicted in the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 11, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: August 7, 2018
- Cast: Melissa McCarthy , Adria Arjona , Gillian Jacobs
- Director: Ben Falcone
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
- Studios: New Line Cinema , Warner Bros.
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: sexual material, drug content and partying
- Last updated: December 31, 2022
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