*A special thank you to Momentum Pictures for hosting me at this event.*
Fun Mom Dinner now playing at select theaters and On Demand
When I became a mother my entire world changed, and as my kids grow I grow with them. It was a pleasure to sit down with the cast and crew of Fun Mom Dinner and discuss motherhood. Each character is a very distinct adaptation of moms I think we all know.
About Fun Mom Dinner:
Four moms whose only common ground is their kids’ preschool class, decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner.” The night begins as a disaster, but the combination of alcohol, karaoke, and a cute bartender, leads to an unforgettable night where these seemingly different women realize they have more in common than motherhood and men.
The comedy stars Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Bridget Everett, and Katie Aselton.
Take a look:
FUN MOM DINNER had its World Premiere earlier this year at Sundance. I joined several bloggers in an interview session with director Alethea Jones, writer Julie Rudd and producer Naomi Scott. In addition to having a predominately female cast, many of the crew members were also predominately female. This was both Althea Jones and Julie Rudd’s first feature film.Julie Rudd said she wrote Fun Mom Dinner as a love letter to all mothers. Here is a snippet from our interview.
This was a fun interview with the first time feature director and writer. The film has an eighties vibe to it that they all wanted to include. The John Hughes movies of that time period are referenced in this film and that’s the feel they were looking to create. In my opinion they created just that and successfully. We had interviewed the actors first so my question to these talented ladies behind the scenes was , “What was it like working with all those personalities?”.
Ms. Alethea Jones: This was my first feature, so it was really interesting. I had no expectation that my first feature would have so many glorious actors in it. So, that was a really big psychological hurdle to overcome very quickly, because I came onboard and we were shooting, like, just a little under six weeks later. So, it was actually good to have that time crunch, because I didn’t have time to dwell on the fact that I would be working with people who I had admired for years. The other part about what it was like working with them is that they’re all thoroughbreds, like, the caliber of their acting. Like, they show up to work. And it made me a better director. I had to rise up to them, and it was a joy. It was a very pure experience for me.
Ms. Naomi Scott: We had 13 days with all four women. Scheduling was tricky. We had 21 days for the whole feature, but 13 days only with all four women.
Blogger: Did you sleep at all then?
Ms. Alethea Jones: No sleep. But, yes, no time to be nervous as well, which was very handy.
Julie Rudd spoke about finding time write while her kids were at school. Motherhood and the friendships that she had made because of it were her inspiration. Here is what she had to say about her mom friends:
Ms. Julie Rudd: “And I was really surprised at how much they had come to mean in my life and how they had enriched my life and how known I felt and appreciated I felt in this group, and how much I
looked forward to being with them. You know, I was like, “I love my husband. I love my kids. Why am I so excited to go out with my mom friends tonight?”
And so, the initial idea was just I wanted to celebrate that feeling and that friendship, which I feel like, in a lot of movies with a lot of women, we hadn’t seen that yet.
As soon as these ladies entered the room I knew we some laughs ahead of us, and with the exception on Bridget all moms! The conversation right away went to mom-life. Things you miss like sleeping, eating when you are hungry and not on a schedule, and just being able to walk and spend some time not worrying about anyone just yourself. Me time was something they each stressed as important, as well as date night! Toni Collette brought up the fact that this is what the film celebrates. Remembering who you are and that the person you were before you had kids is still inside you and that you are indeed alive! Katie replied:
Ms. Katie Aselton: Yes. And it’s so fun. And it’s even like when you just have the occasional night out with your friends, every time you finish it, you’re like, “Why don’t we do this more often? This is so fun.”
I asked, “Do these characters remind you of any moms that you know– ?”
They all replied yes, and with some funny stories that I can relate to as a parent. One thing we all agreed on is that parents today are being asked to do way too much and our parents never did half the things we are now expected to do. Why is that?
Toni Collette talked about working with her fellow actors and female crew. She read the script and was in! “And I wanted to have this experience with other women and show real women having a good time in the world, you know, not some handbag to some guy. It’s their story.”
So, checkout Fun Mom Dinner for some laughs. Just a FYI, I watched it with my husband and he even loved it! So, it’s not just a chick flick. The husbands do take the backseat in this show, but when they are on they add to the fun. I encourage you to make this a fun night!
Fun Mom Dinner is now in select theaters and On Demand, find it on iTunes.
Which #FunMomDinner mom are you? Take the quiz to find out!
Disclosure: Although I was not compensated for this post my travel expenses were covered for this event hosted by Momentum Pictures. All thoughts belong to me!