Based on the best-selling novel, Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis), a sharp-tongued New Yorker appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Brentley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.
Also stars Finn Wittrock, Connie Britton, Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Beals.
Directed by Mike Barker and written by Jessica Knoll. “Knoll admits that she never imagined Ani as a brunette. “In my eyes, she’s [that girl] who starts as a bottled blonde and then ends up paying $1,000 for highlights.” So, when Mila Kunis’ name first came up, she was floored at how natural it felt. “I never would have thought of her on my own, but seeing her on set and seeing her perform some of these more controversial lines, [I realized] how easily it could have gone sideways if we’d had anyone else in that role,” she says. “I don’t think anyone but Mila could have done it.” https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/luckiest-girl-alive-trailer
While most families have somehow forged closer bonds during the pandemic, with older children returning to the nest to “ride out” the lockdowns while making sure all health measures are taken, one problem continues to push loved ones apart, the ever=present scourge of drug addiction. In most of the crime dramas of the last century, addicts filled the gutters and alleyways while the pushers used all matter of violence to control those dark streets. Then a curious thing happened in the last couple of decades. The specter of substance abuse oozed into the supposed-to-be-safe suburbs and even rural areas. Some media commentators have labeled it the “opioid epidemic, an apt subtitle for this new “inspired by true events” family drama. But at its heart, it’s a look at the tested bond between mother and daughter that tries to remain strong during what they hope will be FOUR GOOD DAYS.
At a well-kept two-story home in clean. tree-lined neighborhood, Deb (Glenn Close) is jolted awake by someone pounding on the front door in the early post-dawn hours. She has a hunch about the visitor, so she persuades hubby Chris (Stephen Root) to stay in bed. Peering through the door’s “spy hole”, Deb sees her long-absent eldest daughter Molly (Mila Kunis). After opening the door “just a touch”, Deb is greeted with pleas from the disheveled Molly to let her come in and “crash” for a day or so. Ah but this has happened before, so Deb insists that Molly gets “clean” and kicks her drug addiction before she offers shelter or money. Molly remains steadfast and refuses to walk away to a clinic or hospital, then proceeds to “camp out” on the front doorstep. Deb and Chris go about their day (luckily it’s her day off as a masseuse at the local casino’s spa, and he’s retired), though she observes Molly through different windows. Early the next morning Deb checks and a shivering Molly is still huddled near the door. Mom relents, and over a cup of coffee, Molly insists she’ll get clean with her help. The duo head to the hospital where a doctor suggests a somewhat radical treatment. He can inject Molly with an opioid antagonist, which will prevent her from being high. Oh, but there’s a big catch. Her system has to be clean of any drugs for the next four days, otherwise, the “blocker” could prove lethal. They both agree and return home and begin a grueling 96-hour battle of wills, one that may finally save Molly and mend the shattered relationship with Deb and the rest of the family.
The role of a middle-aged, still working-class mother (and grandmother) feels like a decent fit for the talented Close, whose tired but still engaged (watch them dart about in several unlikely settings) eyes reveal Deb’s pain and regret. And still, she draws us in with that glimmer of hope, wanting us to also believe that this lifeline to Molly will be the one that returns her to the sober world. It’s not until the story’s frantic final act that the source of that regret is revealed, as Deb blames her past decisions (including an escape from an abusive first marriage) for leading her daughter down a destructive path. Close projects quiet strength, but still reveals Deb’s fragile, uneasy state. She’s got a compelling screen sparring partner in the definitely “cast against type” Kunis who graduated from sultry comic bombshells in TV’s “That 70’s Show” and films such as EXTRACT and FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL to one of the manic BAD MOMS, though her dramatic screen work has been rare. She totally commits to Molly, eschewing any sense of glamour with her deep grey sunken eyes, chipped “parking lot” teeth (which Molly tries to hide in her early scenes), and stringy bleached-blonde green-tipped hair. But it goes behind the looks. Kunis has a look of scheming desperation creeping through her “half-mast” dark eyelids. We never quite know if she really wants to be clean, or if she’s just going through the motions while waiting for a chance for her inner demons to strike out. Regret also figures into her demeanor, as she seems to ponder all the years spent in limbo as she chain-smokes in Deb’s open garage over a TV table jigsaw puzzle (that’s an apt metaphor for Molly). Another pleasant dramatic surprise is the always-watchable Root who makes Chris more than the affable supportive second spouse. It kills him to see his love going down a familiar path of heartbreak which spurs him to fight, even if it means angering her, at one point prodding her with “You wanna’ fight me? Go ahead!!”. Kudos are also due to another usually comic actress Carla Gallo who plays Molly’s sardonic kid sister, whose mother Deb almost ignores in her Molly mission (Deb’s never in the moment with her). There’s a lot of truly creative casting at work in this film.
They’re all guided with great sensitivity by director Rodrigo Garcia who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ed Saslow, which is based on his acclaimed 2016 Washington Post piece “How’s Amanda? A Story of Truth, Lies, and American Addiction”. The story tends to flit about, perhaps trying to compress too much in that very long weekend. Yes, we can accept those dental “temps”, but a chance drug store meeting with a high school teacher, leading to Molly addressing an often disinterested class feels a bit rushed. That’s especially the case when one of her demands leads to a perilous trek into the “bad part of turn” (though tidier than most) that tries to amp up the suspense by taking Deb way out of her comfort zone. The tension continues with a third act twist, leading to a fairly standard rehash of the TERMS OF ENDEARMENT hospital clashes. In turn, this dovetails into a denouncement that comes off as flat and compromised. Perhaps the final fadeout shot wants to proclaim that the challenge is far from done, but it feels a tad cold. Still Close and Kunis make an interesting “home’ team, and for their fans, FOUR GOOD DAYS is a worthy exploration of a health crisis that continues to claim lives and families.
2.5 out of 4
FOUR GOOD DAYS opens in select theatres and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas beginning Friday, April 30, 2021.
FOUR GOOD DAYS is an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow. Check out the trailer:
31-year-old Molly begs her estranged mother Deb for help fighting a fierce battle against the demons that have derailed her life. Despite all she has learned over a decade of disappointment, grief and rage, Deb throws herself into one last attempt to save her beloved daughter from the deadly and merciless grip of heroin addiction. Powerhouse performances from Glenn Close and Mila Kunis anchor director Rodrigo García’s poignant and unpredictable chronicle of mother and daughter fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together.
FOUR GOOD DAYS stars Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Stephen Root, Joshua Leonard, and Sam Hennings
Aside from going to the movies (natch’) what’s very very high up on the lists of kids’ fun activities? Right at the ‘tippy-top” would probably be a visit to a big ole’ amusement park. Not the traveling carnivals that go from town to town and set up for a few days in an empty field or a parking lot. We’re talking the big permanent vacation destinations like your “several flags over…” or “something land or world” with the Griswold family running in slo-mo toward the front gate. And just what could make such an excursion even more fun, aside from a multi-day express pass or unlimited refreshment vouchers? What if that place was based on your own ideas, if you were the “Imagineer” thinking up the perfect coaster or ride? Well, as this new animated movie suggests, that would truly be a WONDER PARK.
Actually, this place, in the film, is called “Wonderland” and it springs from the daydreams of precocious seven-year-old June (Sofia Mali) and her devoted fun-loving Mom (Jennifer Garner), with the encouragement of Dad (Matthew Broderick). All’s well until June (without Mom) enlists the neighborhood kids to help her put together the ultimate “Wonderland” style coaster from stuff gathering dust in their families’ garages and basements. Of course, chaos and calamity spill out into the town. But after a lengthy “time out” punishment, the family team’s back plotting and building miniature versions of their fantasy place. Then Mom has trouble keeping up with lil’ June. She’s so pale and tired that she must leave their home and travel far away to a place that will hopefully heal her ailments (perhaps a hospital or spa). The trio’s now a duo and, as the months become years, now middle-school-aged June (Brianna Denski) wants nothing to do with Wonderland, becoming obsessed with safety (particularly fixated on potential dangers to Dad). Finally, he convinces her to join her classmates on a bus trip to a math competition. But worried June finds a way off the bus and ventures homeward through the nearby forest. And that’s where she stumbles upon the “real” Wonder Land”. She’s even greeted by the ‘official mascots’: Greta the wild boar (Mila Kunis), big blue bear greeter Boomer (Ken Hudson Campbell), jittery porcupine Steve (John Oliver) and beaver brothers Cooper (Ken Jeong) and Gus (Kenan Thompson). The place is in disrepair because an army of now alive stuffed toys, the “Chimpanzombies”, are dismantling the rides and tossing them up into a swirling dark magenta storm cloud. June and the mascots must work together, but they can’t win without the park’s missing director/ ride builder, the chimp known as Peanut (Norbert Leo Butz). Evan if they locate him, will they save their Wonderland before it’s too late?
The filmmakers have done a pretty good job of balancing the voice cast with “name” stars and relative “up and comers” (a frequent “pet peeve” of mine is the reliance on “celeb” talent to sell an animated flick). Both Mali and Denski brings lots of youthful exuberance to the June lead with the latter taking on most of the “heavy lifting” of her traumatic turn into a safety “sentry”. Unfortunately, Garner is once again cast as the dutiful, nurturing, now almost martyred matriarch, too close to so many of her recent live-action roles. She gets the right amount of “sweetness”, but never gets to showcase her comic skills. The same might be said of Broderick (the original Simba) whose pop persona harkens to his dim, but doting dad without that “snark” that marks most of his live work (not just Bueller, but the recent TO DUST). Then there are the mascots, the “cuddly creature crew”. Most prominent (seen and heard a whole lot) is Oliver as the manic, motor-mouthed Steve. He’s an engaging comedian commentator, but his constant chatter, repeating phrases and whimpers, becomes tiresome and monotonous, as if they needed him to hammer the gags. Pixar proved (particularly with WALL-E) that the quiet can draw the viewer into the story’s world. His dominance takes away from the others, especially the talented Kunis who has little to do as the plucky and determined wild boar Greta (sad because she’s been great for so long as a regular voice on TV’s “Family Guy”). Relative newcomer Campbell brings a loveable, engaging gregarious quality to Boomer in between sudden naps (a clever gag involves his narcolepsy, called “frequent hibernation syndrome”). Just as he did in the recent Grinch feature, Thompson brings much-needed energy to Gus the beaver and is almost matched by Jeong as brother Cooper. And though, it’s more of the heroic “straight man” role Butz brings loads or warmth and charm to the courageous, clever chimp Peanut.
This flick is fairly unique in a couple of ways. It’s a Nickelodeon Movies co-production with Paramount Pictures (not that unusual), but it follows in the footsteps of JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS and BARNYARD, in that it’s really a feature film TV “pilot” for a series on that basic cable channel that debuts later this year (so, don’t be surprised, parents). Kinda’ sneaky, eh? The other unusual tidbit is the fact that no director is credited. Of course, there was one, but he was fired after an accusation of Sexual Misconduct (it’s “Time’s Up” for family flicks too). So the main credits are to the screenwriters, Robert Gordon (actually story) and Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (both co-producers, too). And as for that script, well maybe the blame should mainly go to the marketing folks because it goes very dark fairly fast. There’s no warning that the adored mama is nearly at death’s door by the twenty-minute mark. She’s doing the “full Camille” complete with pale flesh, coughing into an ever-present scarf, and eyelids at “half mast”. Many of the tots at the Saturday morning screening needed quick “comforting” by their escorts. Not that any kids’ flick should be free of tragedy, but this seems to come out of nowhere. Aside from that, the last half hour in the park is pretty much a near-constant story treadmill of screaming, running, and bouncing that loses any real sense of urgency and drama. Some of the rides are cool (that big robot squid that tosses rider-filled orbs is a dream/nightmare) and the hordes of lil’ chimps have much of the creepy (but not too scary) menace of the winged monkeys of Oz, but it’s not enough to sustain this story for 85 minutes. The character design is serviceable as are the settings, but it’s nothing really new or engaging. It’s just a shame there’s not nearly enough of a sense of wonder in WONDER PARK. Now, please board the shuttles back to the parking lot…
(L-R, front row) Steve, Greta, June, Cooper, Gus, Peanut, (back row) Boomer in the animated film, WONDER PARK by Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies
Opening in theatres on March 15, 2019 is Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies WONDER PARK.
WONDER PARK tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive.
The voice cast includes Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Norbert Leo Butz, Brianna Denski and Ken Hudson Campbell.
Here’s a first look at the super cute first preview.
Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon and Sam Heughan (Outlander series) star in the first preview for Lionsgate’s THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME.
Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon), two thirty-year-old best friends in Los Angeles, are thrust unexpectedly into an international conspiracy when Audrey’s ex-boyfriend shows up at their apartment with a team of deadly assassins on his trail. Surprising even themselves, the duo jump into action, on the run throughout Europe from assassins and a suspicious-but-charming British agent, as they hatch a plan to save the world.
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME is helmed by Susanna Fogel, director of 2014’s LIFE PARTNERS which starred Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs and Adam Brody.
Okay, have you added your jack-o-latern to the compost heap and packed away all the cardboard witches, black cats, and ghosts? Good, cause it’s time to grab the decoration box for the next big holiday (sorry Thanksgiving, aside from the fold-out table top turkey, you’re mainly a big lavish meal followed by hours of football). December will be here before you know it, and this new release tries to add some laughs along with the wreaths. Plus it’s that rare two-for-one flick in that it’s a seasonal celebration and a sequel, just as with THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY from four years ago. And while the holiday is one for families to get together, this new movie is really aimed at the older revelers. It’s rated “R” for raw and rowdy, with jokes and gags much raunchier than the Parkers (from the classic A CHRISTMAS STORY) or the Griswolds would serve up with the egg nog (these folks would whip it up with a strong kick). Just a year ago this past July, film goers were stunned at the “un-PC” hi-jinks of a trio of matriarchs known as the BAD MOMS. Now they’re back to wreck havoc under the fancy tree in A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS. And their own wild and wacky mothers are joining in the naughty nonsense.
So it’s over a year later, but Amy (Mila Kunis) is still in a funk as she looks over the debris of her Christmas Eve decorations. As we flash back to several days prior, we find her in a much better mood. Her two kids are doing well and her romance with hunky widowed dad Jessie (Jay Hernandez) is really going strong. However holiday prep is stressing her out, especially since her folks will soon arrive. Things are always hectic at Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Kent’s house with their three (or is it four) rambunctious kids. Then things get truly chaotic with the unexpected early arrival of her widowed mother Sandy (Cheryl Hines) who takes clingy to a whole new level (she even has her hair styled and colored to match her daughter). Meanwhile Carla (Kathryn Hahn) is putting in long, tiring hours at the spa tending to the ..ahem…grooming needs of the local ladies. Going home, she’s surprised to see a big semi-truck pull up to the front lawn. The passenger door opens and out hops her free-spirited mother Isis (Susan Sarandon), decked out in a cowboy hat, tight sequined slacks, and sans bra. As she talks and tokes, Carla wonders when mom will hit her up for a loan.
Meanwhile back at Amy’s place, her mother Ruth (Christine Baranski) arrives with the force of a fierce blizzard, with her hubby Hank (Peter Gallagher) in tow, wrestling with the massive luggage. Ruth tosses expensive gifts at the kids while sneering at Amy’s attempts at festive decorations. Luckily Amy is able to blow off some steam with Carla and Kiki down at the mall the next day. The woman decide that they will not let their moms ruin the holiday. In the days before the 25th, Kiki drags Sandy to a family therapist Dr. Karl (Wanda Sykes) in order to set up “boundaries”. Carla has a most delightful spa client, an exotic dancer (okay, male stripper) named Ty (Justin Hartley) who needs a slight “touch up” before competing in a “sexy Santa” contest. Could he be her “mistletoe match”? Amy’s not having so much fun as Ruth brings in her own workers to redo Amy’s house before she hosts a fancy event on the 24th (live birds are part of the front lawn display). Is there any way the two can reach a compromise before Christmas becomes a family destroying battle of wills?
Just as with the original outing, the film’s strength is the easy-going chemistry and expert comic teaming of the star trio, but here we get to double the talent. Having achieved her independence, Kunis as Amy exudes more confidence, but her history with mom starts to slowly chip away at her. While more of the straight man (or woman) last year, Kunis shows more of her comic and dramatic skills while indulging in inspired bits of slapstick. Like Amy, Bell’s Kiki is a much stronger role, with little of timidity of her introduction. This time, her mom inspires hilarious expressions of frustration and exasperation from her (we almost expect to see an animated thought balloon with “?!!” to pop up from her noggin). There’s even a playful, sexy side to Kiki as she is more at ease with her hubby. Speaking of the “s-word”, Hahn as Carla is still the neighborhood bad girl bombshell, emerging from her spa smock and transforming into a rock vixen, just as Diana Prince changes to our fave Amazon. Hahn still delivers her lurid lines of dialogue with delight, but we get a bit of her vulnerable side as she melts for her new beau. As for the grandmas’, Hines is a scene stealer with her terrific rapport with Bell and her happy, too-sweet passive aggressive attitude, not to mention her too long hugs which give her a chance to inhale Bell’s hair (that look of ecstasy is priceless). Sarandon reprises her mature “man-eater”, this time mixed with the “wild child” who’s never truly grown up, thinking the party will never end. Baranski may be one of the best cinema snobs since Margaret Dumont. When she enters Amy’s home her nose twitches as if she’s just walked into a neglected outhouse. Her suburb diction propel all of her dismissive comments to maximum destructive effect. Her Ruth has no clue to her cruelty. Sykes absolutely kills as the “no B.S.” counselor. As for the guys, Gallagher is effective as the brow-beaten pop who knows just the right advice to give to his kid. And Hartley not only is eye candy, but proves to have some sharp comedy chops.
Writer/directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore return also. And they keep the film rolling at pretty much the same pace, though they aren’t concerned with Amy’s job, nor the kids’ schools (we do a cameo from a former foe from there). They indulge once more in too many montages with wacky slow motion (and slooooow sound) and they go for too many easy laughs in the script (really, a lil’ girl dropping the “F-bomb” nearly three times straight, c’mon). Plus the plot doesn’t veer past the usual Christmas movie clichés. Understanding will be shared along with warm, teary hugs, of course. Still, the film’s worth seeing just for the supreme comedic talents and timing of these, not three, six gifted actresses. They’re the delightful gift wrapped inside A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS.
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms will redefine how to make the holidays special for all and discover a closer relationship with their mothers.
Opens In Theaters November 1, 2017.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS on October 30 at 7:00 pm in the St. Louis area.
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
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Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, and some drug use
KATHRYN HAHN, MILA KUNIS, and KRISTEN BELL in A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS
In his review of the 2016 comedy BAD MOMS, Jim Batts wrote:
“With their second feature film as directors (21 & OVER was the first), screenwriter Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (they did pen the THE HANGOVER) have proven that they can deliver a film that tackles more adult concerns and situations without sacrificing the laughs. The laughs are big and the cast is most engaging (hooray for Hahn), so expect to have a good, raucous time with some BAD MOMS.”
Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn are back for more hilarious shenanigans in the brand new trailer for A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS.
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers. By the end of the journey, our moms will redefine how to make the holidays special for all and discover a closer relationship with their mothers.
Starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines, Jay Hernandez, Wanda Sykes, Peter Gallagher and Susan Sarandon, A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS opens in theaters November 3, 2017.
BAD MOMS stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith and Annie Mumolo as group of women who decide to free themselves from their responsibilities. The film was written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (The Hangover Trilogy, Four Christmases) and produced by Suzanne Todd, (Alice Through The Looking Glass) and Bill Block (Dirty Grandpa).
Along with deleted scenes, gag reel, and interviews with cast and crew, Bad Moms on Blu-ray also includes a Digital HD copy of the film to download through UltraViolet partners.
The Blu-ray Disc is formatted in 1080p at 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio with an English DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
The BAD MOMS Blu-ray release day is today, but you can get a copy for free! We Are Movie Geeks has seven copies of the BAD MOMS Blu-ray to give away! All you have to do is answer this question in the comments below: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘Bad’ in the title? (mine is ANDY WARHOL’S BAD). It’s so easy!
We’ll pick the winners next week.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.
No purchase necessary
In this hilarious and heartfelt comedy from the writing duo behind The Hangover, Amy (Mila Kunis) has a seemingly perfect life – a great marriage, over-achieving kids, beautiful home and a career. However, she’s over-worked, over-committed and exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms (Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn) on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities – going on a wild, un-mom-like binge of long overdue freedom, fun and self-indulgence – putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) and her clique of devoted perfect moms (Jada Pinkett Smith and Annie Mumolo). See the movie that critics are cheering as “…a funny, giddy, sentimental laugh-in…” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times.
