Debuting this week on DVD and Blu-Ray from National Entertainment Media is a film all about the personal struggles and passions of a blooming mom blogger. Motherhood, starring Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards, and Minnie Driver, is a raw and real glimpse in the day in the life of Eliza Welch. She is balancing a plethora of responsibilities and wearing a handful of hats: Keeping up with her eccentric and forgetful husband, caring for her toddler son, posting to her mom blog (The Bjorn Identity), navigating sticky neighborhood situations, nurturing a fragile friendship, and planning her daughter’s 6th birthday party (which is scheduled for that very night).
(Sound like too much for one day? Tired yet? Keep reading.)
In the midst of all of her “to-dos,” she finds out about a writing contest that can land her a permanent job in the field of parenting prose. She adds to her list: “Compose a 500-word essay on ‘What Motherhood Means to Me.’”
We follow Eliza as she deals with the pressures and inconveniences of living in a big city, car towing woes, shops for last-minute birthday party supplies, gets groceries (for her family and also her elderly next-door neighbor), meets her friend for a one-day-only sample sale, takes her son for a playground playdate, all the while toting around her laptop. By the end, she feels as if she’ll be lucky to get a sentence written, much less 500 words.
Though there is a ton of hearty humor in this film (exaggerated stereotypes of mom types, interpersonal communnication, and parenting styles), there is a heavy underlying theme of every mother’s struggle to hold tight to her identity as a person once motherhood becomes part of her persona.
The complicated, somewhat misaligned communication between she and her husband add even more stress to her day, showing glimpses of a deeper and underlying relational struggle, a battle to keep a marriage strong amidst the stresses of parenting (and life).
I enjoyed this movie…there were laugh-out-loud parts, for sure, and several moments where I nodded my head and said, “They got that right on the money!” Though most of the movie left me feeling, well, tired, I did appreciate the happy ending, albeit it a little too tidy. I felt as if this movie was shorter than it needed to be….perhaps a television series or miniseries would do this scenario more justice and allow the characters to become more developed and explored.
Still, it was an enjoyable film, and as a lover of writing and a mom blogger myself, one that I could easily relate to. The tear-invoking words near the end of the film sum up a tenet of mine very well, words that just go to show that parenting is a learning process….not just for child, but for moms, as well:
“Things are always changing, no matter how much you want things to stay the same. You could take a picture of your kids every single day and every single day, they’d just be getting older. That’s a fact; a heartbreaking fact, but still a fact. So seize your days and dwell in them fully. Look to your children, because they know how to inhabit brief periods of time with extreme passion….and for nothing more, really, than the sake of those moments. They can help you remember that….if you only slow down and let them.”
You can find Motherhood in stores near you, wherever DVDs are sold, or via Amazon on either DVD or Blu-Ray.
Win it! Courtesy of National Entertainment Media and Sugar Mountain PR, TWO of you can win a copy of Motherhood on DVD!
Here’s how to enter:
1) MANDATORY: Leave me a comment below telling me why you’d like to see this film…or what part of Eliza Welch’s life you think you’ll relate to the most.
2) For an extra entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.
3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.
4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered!
I’ll close this contest next Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Congratulations to commenter #20, Sandy, and #99, Jenna, the winners of this DVD!
FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Jenna (1 year ago)
http://twitter.com/KissesForUsAll/status/10137538985
tweet
Ellen Brower (1 year ago)
I love comedy and also like Uma Thurman. I can identify with the hectic life she leads.
Ellen Brower (1 year ago)
feed reader via google reader
Ellen Brower (1 year ago)
I forgot to say I am a new feed reader via google reader
Ellen Brower (1 year ago)
I am a facebook friend. Ellie Brower
Ellen Brower (1 year ago)
tweeted at http://twitter.com/ellieb67/status/10140930106
Lily Kwan (1 year ago)
I would like to see this film because it sounds very interesting!
Lily Kwan (1 year ago)
I follow you on Facebook.
Veronica Garrett (1 year ago)
I would like to see a movie I can relate to as a mother and wife. I’m sure there are a lot of situations I could relate to.
Chrysa (1 year ago)
I would like to see this because I heard great things about it, but haven’t seen it yet.
Sand (1 year ago)
I’d love to see this movie because I love Uma Thurman!
Angela Winesburg (1 year ago)
It looks funny and entertaining, thanks for the chance!
Donna K (1 year ago)
It looks like I would enjoy it.
Donna K (1 year ago)
subscribed to your feed
Charlene Kuser (1 year ago)
I would love to see this movie because I
can relate to Eliza on how you can get
so wrapped up in being a mother you can
lose your own identity as a person
CharlieGurl57@aol.com
Charlene Kuser (1 year ago)
I am a subscriber to your feed
CharlieGurl57@aol.com
Saebbe Reidhead (1 year ago)
I want to win this because I’m a mom to 2 and have another 7 daycare kids. I love kids and think I can totally relate.
Charlene Kuser (1 year ago)
Friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook
(Charlene Kuser)
Charlene Kuser (1 year ago)
Tweeted:Swtlilchick
http://twitter.com/Swtlilchick/status/10152575458
Gianna (1 year ago)
I’m a mother of 5 so i’d love to see this
Nancye Davis (1 year ago)
I would like to win this because it looks like it is funny!!
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net