Whether it’s having one child or a dozen, every mom can admit to wanting a few moments away from the kids to just let her hair down. In Bad Moms, Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, and Kristen Bell are no exceptions. Juggling work, getting the kids to school on time, followed by extracurricular activities, PTA meetings, and then having dinner ready in the evening, they are on the verge of a mommy meltdown…or the switch from a “good mom”, to a “bad mom”. In a film that is all too relatable to moms all over the nation, Bad Moms is a wild ride that delivers bellyaching laughs throughout its entirety.
Bad Moms follows overextended mom Amy (Mila Kunis) who is exhausted with the daily hardships of being a mom and having to carry all of the weight of her household on her shoulders. After a true day from hell where absolutely nothing could get worse, Amy renounces her “good mommy-ship” at her children’s schools PTA meeting. After her public proclamation, local bad mom Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and fellow burdened mom Kiki (Kristen Bell) join her in her descent into becoming a “bad mom”. The trio ditch work and their kids for the movies, replace organic meals with fast food, create havoc in a grocery store, and purchase baked goods for the school bake sale, all to give massive middle finger to the social construct of what it means to be a good mom. However, when the new PTA president election is right around the corner, and robot mom Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) threatens to win the race for another consecutive year, Amy joins the race to liberate the responsibilities of her fellow moms.
As silly as this movie may sound, it is the reality for so many women across the nation. Women are so overworked, trying to be the perfect mother to their children even if it means breaking their back in the process. That is what makes this film comedic and enjoyable because it is a group of women who are finally breaking free of those norms and constructs to just be free and enjoy themselves. The biting satire in the film towards parenting and moms in the country is also so accurate, it makes you cringe yet laugh hysterically. (Children named Gandhi, Martha Stewart invited to a PTA meeting, PTA presentations that are completely excessive). While Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell are both great in this film, Kathryn Hahn is the true comedic genius in this film. Her performance as a mom who truly does not give a f*** is hilarious, as her character is not only living life the way she wants when she wants, but being totally shameless about it.
Bad Moms is a great film for anyone who needs a good laugh, but more specifically those moms who just need a break. Maybe they could take away a thing or two from it.
Grade: B+
Bad Moms Review by Dylan Tracy
