Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Moms' Night Out

James has been sick for over a week now, so I decided it would be the perfect time to rent a movie that he would have no qualms about falling asleep during - so, after seeing rave reviews online, I decided to go for Moms' Night Out.  Some things were funny, and it was nice to be able to have a movie on that I had absolutely no problem with my children wandering in and out of.  I enjoyed the speech by the character named Bones (played by Trace Adkins) that spoke about the beauty of motherhood is simply in the being.  Not the doing.  Not the end result.  Just in being a mother, a role that God has (if you have a child) uniquely fitted for you.  But, in a lot of other ways, the movie was little more than a sanitized version of Hollywood cliche: the wife and mother who's grubbed up in sweatpants and tee shirts with artfully messy hair (but still, let's not kid ourselves, is drop dead gorgeous and, once you slap some makeup and heels on her, is swoon-worthy), the picture-perfect, Pottery Barn suburban house, the clueless but tender-hearted gentle husband, the children who are cutesy naughty but not bad-bad, the crazy, fun friends that are always there for you, and so on.  I wish there were more movies out there that broke the mold.  I'd love to see a plain woman be a heroine (just as I'd love to see a non-attractive Jesus portrayal).  But even Christian filmmaking has bought into the idea that in order for a woman to be likable, she must be physically beautiful or cute.  Undoubtedly beauty, financial security, a good spouse, and a network of friends don't make one immune to self-doubt and problems. Full disclosure here: I possess my share of neuroses which make me sensitive to things that probably don't bother others - I'm plain and no amount of makeup or pretty clothes will cover up my unpleasingly plump figure, and I just plain old don't have any real-time friends to confide in and let my hair down with, and my kids aren't little anymore, so the problems I'm dealing with as a Mom make messy houses seem quaint.   But, for me, it's a little like watching a Christian version of The Real Housewives - less guilty pleasure, but leaves you hungering for something a little more authentic.

1 comments:

Serena said...

Ahhh- glad to see you back in BlogLand. I always enjoy this peek into your life and thoughts.

I was also very excited to watch Mom's Night Out after hearing great reviews. But, like you, was sadly disappointed. Give me Jane Eyre any day!