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Thanks to the recent rise in wild comedies for women, Hollywood is finally acknowledging the fact that it’s not just the boys who like to let loose and have some fun every once in a while. And in the outrageous comedy Fun Mom Dinner, four women take a break from preschool pickup and bedtime duties for a night out with the girls.
Fun Mom Dinner follows an unlikely quartet of preschool moms on an unexpectedly outrageous night out. When over-eager school volunteer Melanie (Bridget Everett) and wild single mom Jamie (Molly Shannon) invite newcomer Emily (Katie Aselton) to join them for a fun dinner out, she tricks her best friend, Kate (Toni Collette), into joining her. Kate has never fit in with the other moms, and she has no interest in spending a whole evening with them. But despite its cold and hostile beginning, the women’s night out quickly turns into a madcap misadventure.
Behind every class in every school is a band of mothers who are brought together because of their kids—whether they like it or not. They run into each other at drop-offs and pick-ups. They attend the same meetings and the same events. But, in many cases, the only thing they have in common is their children. That’s definitely the case for the women here. Single mom Jamie, outspoken Melanie, aloof Kate, and sweet, lonely Emily probably wouldn’t end up together in normal circumstances—which, of course, is what leads to their crazy adventures.
Still, while the characters’ clashing personalities give the story some promise, the conflicts are resolved much too quickly. A clandestine smoke break in a restaurant bathroom instantly bonds them together, and then they race off on a bizarre (and almost entirely random) adventure involving karaoke and a hot bartender. Meanwhile, in a weak and underdeveloped subplot, two of the dads end up locked out of the house, baring their souls to one another over badly homebrewed beer.
The moms’ wildly diverse personalities and their different stories give the film some comedic (and narrative) potential—and plenty of over-the-top but amusing moments. But it’s also haphazard and lacking in the development that would make it more than just a brainless comedy for moms.
As another busy summer comes to an end, most moms could definitely use a night out—and Fun Mom Dinner is good for a few laughs. It’s far from the best wild comedy for moms—and you might want to plan a night in with something like Bad Moms instead. But if you’re desperate for a night out with the girls, this is a decent excuse.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
