Uma Thurman's career hit its high point in 2004. Fresh off the release of "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (2004), the actress received widespread acclaim from critics. In the five years since then, Thurman has fallen from the spotlight, sputtering in romantic and comedic flops such as "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" (2006). Unfortunately, Thurman's latest acting effort in "Motherhood" (2009) continues her downward spiral.
She stars as Eliza Welch, a do-it-all mother who has lost her sense of individuality. For Eliza, every day flies by the same way: wake up, take care of her two young kids, clean, cook and do chores. Her husband (Anthony Edwards) spends most of his time at work and helps out with the kids minimally, leaving all the grunt work to his underappreciated wife. The film takes place over the course of one day, as Eliza is pushed to the brink. She tries to prepare for her daughter's sixth birthday party, meet a writing contest deadline and deal with the chaos that is New York City all while completing the daily chores of motherhood.
There are a number of reasons why the film does not succeed, but a lack of effort is not one of them. None of the actors give lazy performances and the script tries very hard to be simultaneously heartfelt and funny. Unfortunately, effort alone doesn't produce a quality project. When an action film fizzles, there are explosions and shootouts to carry the viewer through. When a comedic drama fails to be comedic or dramatic, it's about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Thurman overacts right from the beginning. She frets, agonizes and complains to the extreme. She looks the part of the loving, disheveled mother, but her personality is a complete caricature.
Edwards isn't terrible as her husband, but he's not exactly great either. In fact, the only good acting comes from Minnie Driver. Viewers may remember her as Matt Damon's love interest in "Good Will Hunting" (1997), and here she excels in her supporting role as Eliza's best friend Sheila. With every second Driver appears onscreen, the movie improves; she is so charming and natural that viewers wonder whether "Motherhood" would have been better with her in the title role instead of Thurman.
Though the acting is awful, the script is what really brings the movie down. Writer/Director Katherine Dieckmann fills her film with enough neuroticism to make Woody Allen blush, and some of the dialogue feels like it was written with a dictionary at hand. The concept of motherhood is so universal that simpler, more realistic dialogue would have packed a stronger punch.
Also, by setting the film over the course of only one day, Dieckman has to rush through plot points to create tension. In the climax, Eliza makes a questionable decision after all the stress from the day gets under her skin, but the viewer is not emotionally invested enough to care.
Only one scene manages to captivate the audience. A handsome Indian messenger arrives at Eliza's door to drop off an envelope just as she returns home from running errands. He offers to help carry her bags up the stairs to her apartment and afterwards, she lets him in for a drink. The two talk about writing until the topic of conversation switches to music. Eliza plays him a rock song that reminds her of past days, before motherhood dominated her life. Then they begin dancing in her living room — nothing overtly sexual or choreographed, just two people jumping and spinning like wild animals. Dieckmann lets the music control the scene, eliminating dialogue as the song progressively gets louder and Eliza and the messenger keep jumping closer together, suffusing the situation with sexual tension.
Regrettably, there are not enough raw scenes like this to pump life into the movie. For the most part, "Motherhood" stalls on the screen and is nothing more than a below-average dramedy.
