Moms’ Night Out

Moms’ Night Out follows harried mother of three Allyson (Sarah Drew) as she reluctantly agrees to an evening of fun alongside two friends (Patricia Heaton’s Sondra and Andrea Logan White’s Izzy), with chaos ensuing as the women experience a myriad of problems and complications at virtually every turn (eg Allyson’s sister-in-law loses her baby, Izzy’s husband struggles to care for their children, etc, etc). Filmmakers Andrew and Jon Erwin have infused Moms’ Night Out with an ultra-generic feel that’s reflected in its various attributes, with the movie’s sitcom-like atmosphere preventing the viewer from working up any authentic interest in or enthusiasm for the characters’ exploits (ie everything here just feels so artificial and by-the-numbers). It’s clear, too, that Drew’s larger-than life performance compounds the film’s less-than-engrossing vibe, as the actress’ broad, screeching turn makes it difficult to sympathize with Allyson’s (awfully superficial) plight – with the supporting cast ranging from mildly effective to equally unimpressive. (Trace Adkins, playing a tattooed biker with a heart of gold, is surprisingly decent here and ultimately establishes himself as the film’s most potent weapon.) The Erwin siblings’ ongoing efforts at cultivating a frenetic, Adventures in Babysitting– like feel generally fall flat, although it’s worth noting that the movie does boast a very small handful of unexpectedly entertaining sequences (eg a mid-film car chase). And while the film’s faith-based origins result in the less-than-subtle inclusion of a few moralizing moments, Moms’ Night Out generally fares better than most of the heavy-handed endeavors that tend to populate this increasingly profitable subgenre – which finally does ensure that the film, though utterly forgettable, never quite becomes the unwatchable mess that one might’ve anticipated.

** out of ****

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