Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sisterhood drama skims surface of serious issues.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Single Moms Club
What's the Story?
They may not have chosen to be friends on their own, but when the children of stay-at-home moms Hillary (Amy Smart) and Esperanza (Zulay Henao), journalist May (Nia Long), waitress Lytia (Cocoa Brown), and publishing exec Jan (Wendi McLendon-Covey), get in trouble at school for tagging a wall and smoking cigarettes, the women are given one option: band together to plan the next school school dance or risk having their kids expelled. It's motivation enough for them to meet, but soon they all discover that they have a few things in common, among them that they're all raising kids alone. And that they all need friends who understand to help them through the darkest days.
Is It Any Good?
If good meant well-intentioned and kind-hearted, then THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB sort of passes the test. But that's about it. In truth, The movie suffers from a severe lack of imagination, and anything it accomplishes by bringing up the challenges single mothers face -- hardly groundbreaking, by the way, considering talk shows were shedding light on this topic way back in the 1990s -- dissipates in the face of its cliched dialogue and rudimentary plotlines. The women all bring up the many different ways the men in their lives disappoint, yet the male characters here are given very little to do, and most are drawn superficially.
In fact, most of the issues that Perry, who stars in the movie, too, addresses are dealt with by skimming the surface, never daring to go deeper. One child's father is an addict, yet he's never seen and when something involving him happens, the audience doesn't see it. Today's families are a sophisticated lot; they deserve better movies with complicated characters. (McLendon-Covey rises above the rest in hilarity, but she's a caricature, like many of the others, too.) Having a big heart doesn't forgive most of this film's sins.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the women in the movie are friends. What are their similarities and differences? How realistic are their relationships with each other?
How does the movie handle class and race? Are these issues discussed explicitly? What do you think the movie's stance is on differences of class and race? Did you notice any stereotypes?
Teens: Is there anything in this movie that you could relate to directly? Friendships between different kinds of people? Parents making rules about cell phones or behavior?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 14, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : July 22, 2014
- Cast : Amy Smart , Nia Long , Tyler Perry , Eddie Cibrian , Zulay Henao
- Director : Tyler Perry
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual material and thematic elements
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate