About Mom and Dad feels a lot more like a sitcom pilot than a feature film. Dysfunctional family? Check. Precocious kid? Check. New romance? Check. A laugh-track would not have felt out of place.
It's only a few days before Kim (Alisha Revel) is set to marry Jake (Jonny Mars) at her family's lakeside estate. But her mom (Farah White) has kicked her dad (Brent Anderson) out of the house after she finds evidence of him cheating.
Hold on, the clichés are just getting started.
It turns out Jake is having an affair with Kim's sister Sarah (Katy Rowe), and their stolen kisses and brief glances might force the truth out, even if they want to keep it quiet.
As with most films, but especially family dramedies, there's got to be something relatable or at least believable from the cast or the story. About Mom and Dad really doesn't have either. There are very few natural scenes, so the ones that do feel real"”particularly a third-act speech from the dad to Sarah, both cheaters"”makes you wonder the rest of the movie can't be this consistent.
It also hurts the film overall that the least-connected plot is the most interesting. David (Ryan Ripple), brother to Kim and Sarah, starts a new romance with his co-worker and single mom Raye (Heather Kafka, who looks a lot like Diane Kruger), thanks to the provocation of her kids.
Yes, this subplot features more eye-rolling than anything else going on. But Ripple and Kafka have such an easy-going chemistry that their scenes never feel forced, unlike most of the other romantic moments in the film.
Even so, About Mom and Dad still provides a healthy supply of laughs. Plus, this a movie shot in Texas by a female director. We need more of both, even the ones that aren't stellar and could use some polish.
