Strong Cast Makes ‘Bad Moms’ Good for Some Laughs

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Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Bad Moms” is another raunchy women behaving badly comedy that never met a curse word it didn’t like. But I’ll say this for ‘Bad Moms,’ it’s rebellion comes from a relatable place. What parent hasn’t wondered if they were in some way failing their children in some way by failing to live up to our pinterest levels of perfection?

The story centers on a trio of moms who decide to rebel against the constant and constantly shifting demands of perfection we place on children. Mila Kunis is an overstressed mom working part time, while shuttling her equally overstressed kids to school. She’s juggling household chores, with work, kids soccer games, and her school’s PTA obligations. She’s constantly late for everything and beginning to buckle under the strain worried she is screwing up and letting her children down.

Kathryn Hahn, Mila Kunis and Kristen Stewart in ‘Bad Moms’
Photo credit: STX Entertainment

Kristen Bell is a nerdy stay at home mom of four who never seems to be able to get out from under the constant demands of childrearing to even get out of the house. And then there’s saucy single mom Kathryn Hahn who likes to make inappropriate comments to other parents while dropping her own son off to school, and proves to be the film’s biggest source of consistent laughs. After a particularly stressful day where anything and everything doesn’t seem to go her way, the Mila Kunis Mom snaps at the rigid standards for the upcoming bake sale imposed by the perpetually perfect PTA president Christina Applegate.

These Bad Moms decide to stop coddling their children, put their husbands to work and let loose. This mostly involves slow motion mayhem involving a particularly destructive trip to the grocery store, or a house party fueled by cheap crappy wine. But even when the production is noticeably frayed around the edges, the actors are able to spin laughs nearly out of thin air.

Kathryn Hahn is this film’s secret weapon. She’s able to put just enough spin and find just enough of an angle to make the deliberately scatalogical dialogue work. Christina Applegate is another highlight, able to embody the film’s villain role without going too far over the top and turning her into a complete cartoon. Her picture of perfection doesn’t come from an unrelatable place either.

Christina Applegate and Jada Pinkett Smith in ‘Bad Moms’
Photo credit: STX Entertainment

It’s a ramshackle production that makes the shabby production of “The Hangover,” (from the same writing team, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore) seem like Quentin Tarantino by comparison. The film ostensibly takes place in the suburbs of Chicago, but the filmmakers didn’t even bother to find one that actually exists. And aside from a couple of obligatory helicopter shots, it seems to take place in anywhere USA.

But it’s pointless to overanalyze or quibble with plot points in a raunchy comedy like “Bad Moms.” It’s not great filmmaking by any stretch – the “Moms” produce a reasonable stream of chuckles, and even one or two guffaws along the way. So best to enjoy it like a cheap cold glass of Pinot Grigio and go about your day.

By SPIKE WALTERS Contributor HollywoodChicago.com spike@hollywoodchicago.com