Movie Review: Moms' Night Out
“Moms' Night Out,” starring Sarah Drew (“Grey’s Anatomy”) openstomorrow—right in time for Mother’s Day weekend.
Drew’s character, Allyson, and her twofriends—played with expert delivery by Logan White and Patricia Heaton—wantjust one thing: a peaceful night out eating food off a menu while enjoying uninterruptedadult conversation. But for that to happen the dads have to parent their kidsfor three hours. And they are incapable of doing so without endangering theiroffspring.
The film is billed as a“true-to-life comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting,” but mostviewers will see little in the parenting that feels “true to life.” Forstarters, the husbands “babysit” (yes, they actually use that word) rather than“parent” while their wives go out. Andthe dads of small children in this film are so inept at fathering that theydon’t even know their families’ emergency contact numbers. Naturally, the fumblingguys leave their kids with strangers and shady characters, and at least onechild goes missing. But that’s the risk moms take when they abandon theirchildren for a little “me” time, right?
The film,directed by the Erwin brothers (October Baby), is a cut above most Christian moviesin that it has excellent production values and solid acting. Drew proves her impressive range of talent; Trace Adkins as Bones is believable as theunexpected voice of wisdom (though one wonders why in a “mom” film the voice ofwisdom is a single guy); and Heaton delivers comedic lines with expert timing. Also,the positive portrayal of younger BFFs wanting to hang out with an older womancomes as a positive surprise.
Still, this offering in theunderserved women’s comedy genre is a lost opportunity. Allyson’s husband, Sean (Sean Astin), gives only lip service to his appreciation for herhard work as a mother (“Your job is important”). His cheerleading when she’sbeyond frazzled rings hollow coming from the guy who spends weekends playingfirst-person shooters with his bud. Who does all the parenting while he doeshis thing? She does. And instead of presenting a full mother/father partnershipas the solution to Allyson’s harried life, the remedy is for Sean valiantly to coverher childcare shift for three hours while she goes out with the girls. Oneviewer mumbled sarcastically, “As if it can all be solved in one night.”
While affirming the difficulties inherent inmothering, the film offers no hint that part of the problem is the husbands’lack of agape love, sacrifice, andcommitment to fathering. At no point do viewers get a picture of sharedparenting as God’s vision for the family. Sean’s character sympathizes with hiswife, but his only action is to encourage her and agree to give her athree-hour break—and even that he seems to view as filling in for “her” job. Yet, incredibly, he is portrayed as being astellar guy for doing so. In a film designed to honor mothers?
At one point Allyson’s charactersays to her pastor’s wife, “I am listening to my husband, Sondra. It'sbiblical, right?”
Sondra replies, “It is biblical.”
The context is banter, but viewersunfamiliar with a biblical view of marriage receive only a presentation thatsuggests the Christian ideal is the wife caring for kids and listening to herhusband while the husband does what he wants. The mom in this model is a lead parent.The dad is served, not servant.
Neither script nor plot would have requiredan overhaul to present an Ephesians 5 sort of mutuality with “love” and “laydown his life” as his part of the partnership. A conversation at the endbetween husband and wife provides the perfect chance for him soberly to acknowledgehis responsibility. But instead, his support remains in the realm of deedless words.
Viewers who can overlook Moms' Night Out’s view of marriage and parenting will enjoy its comedic elements. A satirical scene highlighting restaurant snobberydelivers a satisfying touché, and the film includes many other laugh-out-loud moments.So go see Moms' Night Out for the humor.
Just don’t go expecting to see a “messof parenting” that’s “beautiful.” For that to happen, Sean would have had to committo Dad’s Weekends In.