Mother

PG-13

Released Dec 25, 1996

1 hr. 44 min.

Comedy

List

87%

45 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A writer believes the key to solving his many troubles with the opposite sex can be found by retracing the steps of his youth. Science-fiction scribe John Henderson (Albert Brooks) can't find a solid relationship, so he moves back in with his mother, Beatrice (Debbie Reynolds). John means well, and he seems to genuinely believe that a better understanding of his mom will lead to dating success. But when they begin to bicker, both start rethinking the arrangement.

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Critics Consensus

Albert Brooks' pugnacious insight is in fine form throughout Mother, a gentle showcase for the comedic curmudgeon and a sweetly acidic Debbie Reynolds.

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Audience Member

Funny and poignant. Recommended for anyone who has or has had a mother. The negative reviewers obviously have mommy issues.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

steve d

I thought it was far nastier than funny.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Thanks to an Apple glitch may be the most expensive film I've ever watched. This film brought back memories of my grandmother who I seldom got to see and died almost 30 years ago. The recurring picture phone joke is great and at least a decade ahead of its time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of my favorite movies. Brilliantly captures, in dramatic and comedic dialogue, the sophisticated dynamics between mother and sons. I purchased four copies of the movie to lend to friends. Albert Brooks is genius in writing, acting and directing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Admittedly sitcom-ish, but the dry wit is appealing.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A classic dysfunctional family at it's best!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

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Albert Brooks

Director

Albert Brooks

John Henderson

Debbie Reynolds

Beatrice Henderson

Rob Morrow

Jeff Henderson

Lisa Kudrow

Linda

John C. McGinley

Carl

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Mother: Official Clip - Sweet Tooth

1:37

Mother: Official Clip - Oedipus Complex

2:00

Mother: Official Clip - Does That Look a Little Green to You?

2:03

Mother: Official Clip - I'm Gonna Move Back in With Mother

1:45

Mother: Official Clip - We Know Why She Hates Me

1:54

Mother: Official Clip - A Trip to the Mall

1:59

Mother: Official Clip - Follow Me

1:45

Mother: Official Clip - Shopping

1:40

Mother: Official Clip - That's a Lot of Cheese

1:43

Mother: Official Clip - Mrs. Henderson

1:59

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

Reynolds's exquisitely calibrated, mercurially comedic performance reveals the stifled passions that inform a lifetime of rigidly refined habits.

Sep 14, 2020

Full Review

David Edelstein

Slate

Brooks' minimalism can be amazingly jampacked, but Mother is perilously slack.

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Paul Tatara

CNN.com

What's really surprising here is that Brooks has finally discovered the very human heart beating beneath his trademark malcontent.

Jun 5, 2020

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Like Brooks’ best work, there’s an aura of comfort and familiarity, of warmth amidst the neuroses, with a self-effacing acidity underneath.

Rated: 8.5/10

Mar 25, 2024

Full Review

Dave Giannini

InSession Film

In some ways, Mother is the most frustrating kind of movie. It has a decent hook, and you can see what Brooks is going for. But it definitely never comes close to earning its way through that premise.

Feb 20, 2024

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

Cleverly turning the self-obsessions of its lead character on its head, Mother is a wry comedy full of insight and unexpected sweetness.

Nov 18, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

A writer believes the key to solving his many troubles with the opposite sex can be found by retracing the steps of his youth. Science-fiction scribe John Henderson (Albert Brooks) can't find a solid relationship, so he moves back in with his mother, Beatrice (Debbie Reynolds). John means well, and he seems to genuinely believe that a better understanding of his mom will lead to dating success. But when they begin to bicker, both start rethinking the arrangement.

Director: Albert Brooks
Screenwriter: Albert Brooks
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
Sound Mix: Surround

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