Mother's Day (2016)

Mother's Day - 2016

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be out there.  And if you're a lady who wishes to become a mom, know that we're pullin' for ya.  Today's post comes in the form of a specially themed film.  2016's "Mother's Day", directed by Garry Marshall, brings together a bunch of interconnecting storylines all set in Atlanta.

The film's large ensemble cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Timothy Olyphant, Britt Robertson, Hector Elizondo, Jack Whitehall, Sarah Chalke, Margo Martindale, Robert Pine, Carmen Esposito, Jon Lovitz, Shay Mitchell, Aasif Mandvi, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Larry Miller, Jennifer Garner, Loni Love, Jessi Case, Ella Anderson, Brandon Spink, Caleb Brown, Penny Marshall, Barbara Marshall, Finn Moder, Hazel Moder, Henry Moder, and Owen Vaccaro.

Jesse and Gabi are sisters who are hiding some big secrets from their parents.  They go to great lengths to keep those secrets, including inventing alternate lives that their spouses know nothing about.

Kristin is a young mother who was put up for adoption when she was a baby.  She knows who her mother is, but isn't sure that making the connection with her is the right decision.

Sandy is a divorced mother of two boys who is feeling pushed out of their lives by her ex-husband and his new wife.

Bradley is a widower who must be both mother and father to his two rapidly growing daughters.  He has a supportive team of women friends who continually push him to get out there and find love again.

Florence and Earl are Jesse and Gabi's parents who love their motor home life.  Currently, they are on their way to make a surprise visit to their daughters.  They don't know that they will be the ones getting the surprise.

And Miranda is a very successful television shopping host who is currently pushing some genuine quartz mood pendants.  Miranda feels a bit empty at Mother's Day because of something she gave up long ago.

I won't go into the specifics of each storyline.  We'd be here all day.  But I will let you in on some of my most fun moments of the film.  The first involves Sandy and her sons' new stepmother Tina.  One sentence in particular that she says always makes me laugh.  "I don't know what the rules are yet, Tina.  I don't know what they are, but I just know we have them, and you're breaking all of them."

Another moment comes when Sandy has a meltdown in her car after finding out that her ex-husband is taking the family to Paris (someplace she's always wanted to go).  "Paris is the only place I've wanted to go since I was a kid.  And I read Madeline!  I don't even think she knows who the hell Madeline is!" she cries, referring to Tina.

Bradley has some trouble with a referee's call at a soccer game he's coaching.  When he gets kicked out of the game, his youngest daughter comes to his defense.  She also gets kicked out of the game, which causes her to scream at the ref "A pox upon your whistle!"

When Florence and Earl finally get to visit their daughters, Florence is told all of the things that they have kept secret.  She doesn't really believe it and tries to find another explanation.  "Are we on the Jerry Springer Show?" she asks with a laugh before coming to terms with the reality of the situation.

She's especially upset because her genuine quartz mood pendant has turned black!

Not to be missed is Bradley's rendition of "The Humpty Dance", which gets him into a pretty serious situation.

Not very funny, but a sweet moment is when Bradley and Sandy bond over getting stuck in a vending machine.

Cast rundown:

   Jennifer Aniston...........................Sandy Newhouse

   Julia Roberts................................Miranda Collins

   Kate Hudson................................Jesse

   Jason Sudeikis.............................Bradley Barton

   Timothy Olyphant.........................Henry

   Britt Robertson............................Kristin

   Hector Elizondo............................Lance Wallace

   Jack Whitehall..............................Zack Zim

   Sarah Chalke...............................Gabi

   Margo Martindale..........................Florence

   Robert Pine..................................Earl

   Cameron Esposito.........................Max

   Jon Lovitz....................................Wally Burn

   Shay Mitchell................................Tina

   Aasif Mandvi.................................Russell

   Lisa Roberts Gillan........................Betty

   Larry Miller...................................The Motorcycle Cop

   Jennifer Garner.............................Dana Barton

   Loni Love.....................................Kimberly

   Jessi Case....................................Rachel Barton

   Ella Anderson...............................Vicky Barton

   Brandon Spink..............................Peter

   Caleb Brown................................Mikey

   Barbara Marshall..........................Head Nurse

   Finn Moder...................................Dominic

   Hazel Moder.................................Cartwheel Kid #1

   Henry Moder................................Cartwheel Kid #2

   Owen Vaccaro..............................Charlie

   Penny Marshall.............................Narrator

And that's it for Mother's Day.  This was Garry Marshall's final film before he passed away.  His sister, Penny Marshall, served as the narrator for this film.  It was also her last movie before passing away.  Julia Roberts spent a total of four days working on this film.  Her salary, a hefty $3 million.  Who doesn't love a film where Julia Roberts calls out "Happy Mother's Day" before the credits roll?

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