August 04, 2017
| Momentum Pictures
| 91 minutes
Directed by: Alethea Jones
| Written by: Julie Rudd
| Cinematography: Sean McElwee
| Editing: Jonathan Corn
| Costume Design: Allyson B. Fanger, Heather Pain
| Production Design: Tracy Dishman
| Music: Julian Wass
"Fun Mom Dinner" follows four very different mothers - Emily (Kate Aselton), Kate (Toni Collette), Melanie (Bridget Everett) and Jamie (Molly Shannon) - whose only common ground is their kids' preschool class. They decide to get together for a harmless “fun mom dinner”, although not all of them get along equally. But when their night suddenly takes an unexpected turn and things gets real, these unlikely new friends soon realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood. Together, they have a night out to remember.
Cast: Katie Aselton (Emily), Toni Collette (Kate), Molly Shannon (Jamie), Bridget Everett (Melanie), Paul Rudd (Brady), Adam Levine (Luke), Rob Huebel (Andrew), Caleb Paddock (Harry), Matthew Paddock (Henry), Cooper J. Friedman (Sam), Owen Vaccaro (Lucas), Poppy Gagnon (Amelia), Jessica Chaffin (Jen), Molly McNearney (Enthusiastic Mom), Claudia O'Doherty (Teacher Sherry), Willa Miel Pogue (Lexie), Jessie Ennis (Francesca), Adam Scott (Tom), Sean James Murphy (Claude), Marsai Martin (Hannah), David Wain (Wayne), Leigh Dunham (Holly), Paul Rust (Barry), John Early (Alfred), Patrick Brammall (Kevin), Sam Lerner (Alex), Evan Crooks (Dylan), Kathryn Prescott (Zoe), Jaz Sinclair (Olivia), Hart Denton (James)
Production Notes
“Fun Mom Dinner” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2017. Prior to Sundance, Momentum Pictures and Netflix acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. It was released in a limited release and through video on demand on August 4, 2017. “Fun Mom Dinner” received generally negative reviews from critics. Reviewing the film for The New York Times, Nicole Herrington called it a “thin script” but praised the chemistry along the leads, and Everett’s performance. Christy Lemire reviewing for Roger Ebert’s website gave the film one-and-a-half stars on the basis that the film “makes the repeated mistake of banging us over the head with its running gags and needlessly spelling everything out, making the movie feel longer than its 81 minutes,” and summarizing that “These are indeed moms, and they do have dinner, but the “fun” part is in short supply.” The A.V. Club gave the film a “C” grade calling the film uninspired, and “undeniably disappointing when a movie called Fun Mom Dinner isn’t, well, much fun.”
