Parents' Guide to

Motherhood

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Parenting dramedy entertains but unlikely to appeal to kids.

Movie PG-13 2009 90 minutes
Motherhood Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Cianelli
Cianelli Adult
January 7, 2012
age 18+

Didn't finish the movie because it inappropriate for families.

About 15 minutes into the move a character yells the c--t word. PG 13 really? We let our 11year old watch PG 13 because we also have a 15 year old. It's bad enough the F bomb gets dropped one time almost every PG13 movie, now we are throwing the C bomb in the mix.
GambleFam
GambleFam Parent of 0, 0 and 3-year-old
August 19, 2010
age 16+

Not worth watching... Boring...

My wife and I watched this one. Was quite boring... One sence referenced a women pleasuring herself with a childs bath toy. Bottom line the movie wasn't any good and not worth watching.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Eliza Welsh's (Uma Thurman) frenzied day begins the moment she sets one foot out of bed and onto the floor. From then on, it's an energetic ballet that requires her to pirouette from school drop-offs to picking up the supplies for her daughter's birthday party to walking the dog to snagging a discounted dress at a sample sale with her pregnant best friend (Minnie Driver), all while caring for her son and swapping schedules with her equally taxed husband, Avery (Anthony Edwards). And somewhere amid the chaos is a writing contest that Eliza, a parenting blogger, wants to enter so she can finally secure a regular paying gig ... if only she can find the time to gather her thoughts and distill what motherhood really means to her.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (1):

There's nothing in MOTHERHOOD that most of us haven't already seen or read, but what a relief to hash through it again with empathy and humor. Short on originality but strong in voice and storytelling, this dramedy will have moms (and dads) relieved that an essential truth about parenting -- that on a daily basis, it really can be a numbing grind -- is presented as-is, without the requisite "of course it's all worth it." The ecstasy outweighs the agony -- many parents say so -- but too often we feel guilty admitting the downsides.

Thurman goes unpretty here, and though it doesn't really work (she's still more glamorous than most moms), she surrenders to the role, and the film is better for it. A scene that has her confronting Avery (Edwards is excellent) is stunning in its authenticity. All the performances are spot on, actually, and a moment that has Eliza reliving her youth under the watchful gaze of an admirer is enervating. Best of all is the movie's faithful rendering of a day in a life of a Manhattan mom. Unlike in reality shows, they're not all catty housewives. It's just too bad that an unlikely plot point near the end strains the credibility a little too far.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Eliza's daily life. Does it seem realistic or exaggerated for cinematic effect? Is it an accurate representation of modern family life?

  • What are the different styles of parenting that the movie references? What is it trying to say about motherhood and fatherhood? Are the parents in this movie good role models? Why or why not?

Movie Details

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