Momma's Man

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Momma's Man

2008

1h 39m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Mikey (Matt Boren) flies from Los Angeles to Manhattan for a business meeting and takes a moment to see his graying parents (Flo Jacobs, Ken Jacobs) in the dimly lit downtown loft where he grew up. Overcome with nostalgia and a sudden longing for his increasingly distant adolescence, Mikey decides to make himself at home. But as the nights wear on -- and his father and his wife, Laura (Dana Varon), grow increasingly concerned -- Mikey struggles to confront his fears of adulthood.

Critics Consensus

Moody yet touching, Momma's Man successfully illustrates with elegant simplicity the struggles of a man consumed with his adolescence.

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Rob Nelson

IndieWire

Jacobs's low-fi third feature forges unique stylistic territory for the American independent film.

Aug 24, 2009

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

This simple but assured indie drama about the safety of childhood and the necessity of leaving it is particularly affecting because writer-director Azazel Jacobs draws so heavily on his own life.

May 29, 2009

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Edward Porter

The Times (UK)

The film is decidedly low-key. As such movies go, it's enjoyable, though you might find yourself wishing Mikey would just pull himself together.

Rated: 3/5

May 13, 2009

Full Review

Robert Koehler

Cinema Scope

Momma's Man is not a document of an artist making a film as an exorcism, but a memoir of recent things past, when the act of doing away with childish matters was confronted and done.

Oct 2, 2017

Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

DCist

Jacobs' minimalist approach demands acting of extraordinary sensitivity, which he gets from his cast, particularly from Matt Boren in the lead role.

Rated: 9.2/10

Jun 12, 2010

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Philip French

Observer (UK)

This is one of the most tiresome recent examples of American independent cinema.

May 13, 2009

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Audience Member

I walked out of this movie, in front of cast and crew at Sundance, which was less embarrassing than everything I had to do in front of them to keep my eyes open. Perhaps a true cinema connoisseur may find appeal in this but people who want to be entertained, or even mildly intrigued, will just find themselves thinking "the protagonist is an idiot and this movie feels like it's been playing for six hours."

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

This indie film is very subtle and slow. The slow pacing is due to the narrative focusing on stasis rather than action, focusing on Mikey's re-adolescence making this somewhat of a re-coming of age film in a way. The cinematography is really interesting, telling the emotional story through imagery and editing techniques, complimented with sparse dialogue. Overall it is a quiet, quirky film that is at times cold and at others poignant. The main character Mikey oscillates between being pathetic and sympathetic. Much like other indie films and European cinema this film plays on emotional ambiguity, failing to explicitly explore character motives and drives and instead uses the medium to imply rather than state, and thus is more authentic, if somewhat unsatisfying.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

Flawed, slow-moving, but evocative character study with a very, very good ending.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

This movie was really tough. It was subdued, uncomfortable, understated, and nearly impossible to watch but in a good way. I recommend it, but watch it when you can fully invest in watching it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Audience Member

A quirky premise, a grown man who can't leave his parent's home after a visit, morphs into a psychological study. Interesting and genuine, though a bit slow.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

a little too slow and painful for my tastes but an interesting, thoughtful and well-made film.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Azazel Jacobs

Director

Matt Boren

Mikey

Ken Jacobs

Dad

Flo Jacobs

Mom

Dana Varon

Laura

Richard Edson

Tom

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Synopsis

Mikey (Matt Boren) flies from Los Angeles to Manhattan for a business meeting and takes a moment to see his graying parents (Flo Jacobs, Ken Jacobs) in the dimly lit downtown loft where he grew up. Overcome with nostalgia and a sudden longing for his increasingly distant adolescence, Mikey decides to make himself at home. But as the nights wear on -- and his father and his wife, Laura (Dana Varon), grow increasingly concerned -- Mikey struggles to confront his fears of adulthood.

Director: Azazel Jacobs
Producer: Hunter Gray, Alex Orlovsky
Screenwriter: Azazel Jacobs
Production Co: Artists Public Domain
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2017
Runtime: 1h 39m

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