If you go into this movie expecting one of those true crime dramas, you'll be disappointed. If you go in hoping for a dramedy about a domineering mother in law, you'll have expectations met. Joanna Kerns is wonderful as the brittle controlling mother whose attempts to break up her daughter's relationship with a kind mechanic are many, varied and comically inept. She creates a memorable character in Celeste Cooper and the movie sags when she's not on the screen. But I think you have to see this film as satirical. I do believe there are mothers like Celeste out there but I doubt there are perfect daughters like Celeste's, perfect boyfriends like Ted, perfect mother in laws like Ted's mom and perfect milquetoasts like Celeste's husband. Nope. The movie is a black comedy at its heart and enjoyable from that perspective.
Review of Mother Knows Best
