As another Mother's Day has come and gone, I'm left with an uneasy feeling. First, I didn't get my wife (my pregnant wife, no less) anything, though to be fair, she demanded I not waste any money on her (carefully chosen words, perhaps?). So, my son and I made her a surprisingly awesome card and crossed our fingers. We we're going to get her flowers, but it turns out someone else got my wife a huge bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day. Guess who?
My mother. Perfect, right? Not only did my mom get my wife a sweet present, but I didn't even get my own mother a damn thing. Nothing. No horribly made breakfast in bed, no homemade coupon for a clean house!, not even the customary last-minute framed photo.
The only thing left to do? Figure out which role I'm worse at: husband, or son? Seems like a toss up.
For whatever reason, I thought The Guilt Trip was going to be worth the buck-fifty rental fee at Redbox. Contrary to the opening paragraph, I had my wife in mind. Her checklist? Three parts: Funny, new(ish) and short. Well, two out of three ain't bad.
Severely lacking in the funny, this movie ended up being less Two Dollar Cinema, and more One Grandmother Cinema. Meaning, this is probably an ideal flick for a slightly edgier senior crowd (there is a lone F-bomb), but otherwise, this is an easy one to pass on for us non-octogenarians.
The setup, contrived as it may be, at least had the potential for some good bits. Seth Rogen plays Andy, a smart-enough guy desperate to get the cleaning product he invented off the ground and carried by major retailers. Barbara Streisand plays his, get this, overbearing mother. Though the motivations aren't exactly clear to all parties, Andy ends up taking his mom across the country as his pitches his product again and again. While each stop along the way becomes essentially an unfunny SNL skit, the whole thing is at least anchored by relatable performances. Most guys will see a bit of themselves in Rogen's defeated and frustrated Andy. And everybody, mom's included, will likely see something in Streisand's character that reminds them of their own mom. More than once, my wife and I turned to each other and simultaneously gestured that reminds me of your Mom. All that said, this is a road-trip flick that screams in-flight entertainment, at best, if that makes sense.
My mother. Perfect, right? Not only did my mom get my wife a sweet present, but I didn't even get my own mother a damn thing. Nothing. No horribly made breakfast in bed, no homemade coupon for a clean house!, not even the customary last-minute framed photo.
The only thing left to do? Figure out which role I'm worse at: husband, or son? Seems like a toss up.
Severely lacking in the funny, this movie ended up being less Two Dollar Cinema, and more One Grandmother Cinema. Meaning, this is probably an ideal flick for a slightly edgier senior crowd (there is a lone F-bomb), but otherwise, this is an easy one to pass on for us non-octogenarians.
The setup, contrived as it may be, at least had the potential for some good bits. Seth Rogen plays Andy, a smart-enough guy desperate to get the cleaning product he invented off the ground and carried by major retailers. Barbara Streisand plays his, get this, overbearing mother. Though the motivations aren't exactly clear to all parties, Andy ends up taking his mom across the country as his pitches his product again and again. While each stop along the way becomes essentially an unfunny SNL skit, the whole thing is at least anchored by relatable performances. Most guys will see a bit of themselves in Rogen's defeated and frustrated Andy. And everybody, mom's included, will likely see something in Streisand's character that reminds them of their own mom. More than once, my wife and I turned to each other and simultaneously gestured that reminds me of your Mom. All that said, this is a road-trip flick that screams in-flight entertainment, at best, if that makes sense.
