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| Available at Amazon.com |
Take an actor that was in a surprising successful comedy film and throw him into your main role. Add in an actress that has had numerous comedy roles acting like a complete and total idiot. Then get two older accomplished actors who have been in everything from serious dramas to hilarious comedies. Sounds like a recipe for success, but all it turns out to be is a blueprint for disaster.
Jeffrey is a twenty-nine-year-old man that lost his father when he was about ten years old. He promised that he would never let anything come between him and his mother since she had already lost the man she loved. At the present time, he’s still holding true to his promise by residing in the same house he always has…hers. As a mother and full grown son they spend evenings together, give each other advice, and are always there when they need one another. But when Jeffrey’s mom, Jan, meets someone, things begin to get a little rocky.
Jan has met a man by the name of Mert Rosenbloom who is a motivational speaker and all around happy guy. A few successful dates later and Jan is ready to have Mert move into the house. This does not sit well with Jeffrey who is determined to make Mert’s life a living hell for hording in on him and his mom. Meanwhile, Jeffrey is also having another problem in dealing with Nora from the coffee shop who obviously likes him, but he can’t quite seem to let go of his mother’s apron strings.
Oh the hilarity.
Please detect the sarcasm because there is no hilariousness or humor in this entire film. It is a stupid premise that relies on Jon Heder raising Napoleon Dynamite from the dead so he can act like him in a few scenes to get a laugh here and there. Diane Keaton’s awkward appearance and acting is awful for her at this stage in her career and makes her seem like a first rate amateur. Jeff Daniels is wasted in this film by just being there and doing nothing more. Anna Faris is the one bright spot because for the first time (ever I would think), she isn’t acting like a total lunatic spaz. She is calm, composed, and fits right into her role as a corporate America hating hippie. This and Waiting… are by far her two best performances. It’s a shame that no one will get to see it here because of how awful the rest is.
The film had been on for thirty-two minutes before I even so much as giggled. Can’t really recall doing it again for the remainder either. The script is poorly written, the acting is awful, and the over the top attempts at producing laughs is just insulting. After looking at the DVD cover art and reading the description, I noticed that the main characters were all played by well known actors. Perhaps a few laughs would come from it. Nope, all that was gained from watching Mama’s Boy was that the little laughing gnome inside of me died a little.
The film is shown in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it looks like a direct to DVD flick. The colors are bright when they need to be and all looks grand, but you can tell it was only ever meant to be seen on the small screen.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and all dialogue can be heard clearly while the music never gets too loud or overbearing.
Additional Scenes – Four extra scenes that would have added nothing to this abomination of a film.
Audio Commentary – Director Tim Hamilton sits alone for this track and he discusses how this was his first real big film directing gig and how it came to be. He talks about what is happening on scene and what he was going for in each of them. That is when he’s not being totally silent. Oh, and be ready to adjust the volume constantly because there are moments he is talking normal and others where he appears to be whispering.
Trailers – Semi-Pro, Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show, Over Her Dead Body, and Get Smart.
Avoid avoid avoid at all costs. There is no reason to watch this film whatsoever. Wait a minute. Anna Faris would be the reason to watch it, but the rest of it is so incredibly unbearable that it’s not worth your time, money, or effort. Trust me, it takes some effort to sit through this garbage. My scores will reflect my true feelings in case you hadn’t quite gathered them from my review. Mama’s Boy is not worth even a zero. It is just that bad.
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Warner Home Video presents Mama’s Boy. Directed by: Tim Hamilton. Starring: Jon Heder, Anna Faris, Diane Keaton, Jeff Daniels. Written by: Hank Nelken. Running time: 93 minutes. Rating: PG-13. Released on DVD: June 3, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
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