3268. Fun Mom Dinner (2017)

Starring: Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Katie Aselton

Director: Alethea Jones

Running Time: 81 mins

Fun Mom Dinner is an American film about a four mothers of preschool kids who organise a dinner together, but soon see their night growing longer and crazier.

I really liked this movie. I know it’s not a masterpiece of filmmaking, and nor is it the best late night comedy you’ll ever see, but Fun Mom Dinner has a great blend of light-hearted jokes and heartfelt, optimistic storytelling. Featuring four wonderful performances that are likable through and through, Fun Mom Dinner is just that: a whole lot of fun.

Let’s start with one thing though: how similar Fun Mom Dinner is to two other movies released around the same time: Bad Moms and Rough Night. Now, Fun Mom Dinner is way better than the latter, but it doesn’t quite match up to the enduring brilliance of Bad Moms.

The truth is that Fun Mom Dinner, while steering clear of an irritating night of bickering like was the case in Rough Night, is very much on the fluffy side. That’s what makes it so likable, but it also misses out on the opportunity to use its surprising heart to tell a genuinely lovely story.

While hugely funny, Bad Moms‘ ‘live and let live’ message was its cherry on top of the cake, making it so much more than a raunchy ‘moms gone wild’ comedy. Fun Mom Dinner has a little bit of that, but never quite as convincingly, and that’s why it’s arguably not the best of this trio of films.

However, there’s no doubting that the movie is a whole lot of fun if you’re looking for light-hearted laughs and late-night antics. With a dynamite cast that features Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Bridget Everett and Katie Aselton, the film’s lead quartet is more than a match for the best on-screen friendships.

The four leads work wonderfully together as a group of originally distant mothers who become a tightly-knit bunch of friends over the course of one chaotic night. Bridget Everett in particular stands out among the four, with a really nice blend of hilarious comedic skill and heartfelt likability that makes her the highlight of the movie.

And that heartfelt emotion is something I want to touch on briefly, because while Fun Mom Dinner arguably doesn’t do enough to tell a genuinely touching story, its optimistic and heartfelt story about friendship is more than enough to make you smile, and set the film apart from the raunchy and overly boisterous likes of Rough Night.

Fun Mom Dinner’s best attribute is its likability, and that comes both from its humour and its heart, making the film a fluffy but ultimately thoroughly endearing watch. Complete with great performances across the board, there’s a lot to like with Fun Mom Dinner, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.2 overall.