I only joined up IMBD so I can comment on this movie. It is slow, boring....the main character, Mary, badly acts through this snooze fest.
Bad writing, acting and would rather poke pins in my eyes & yours, than ever see this again. And to save you the pain.
6 Reviews
****
edwagreen3 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is far from your ordinary story of an adult returning to college to complete her degree and the various trials and tribulations that she has in pursuit of her degree.
Rather, we're dealing with upper class minority people who hold extremely high values and our heroine here is no different. She discovers the child she gave up years ago, as he tutors her in preparation for the attaining of her degree.
Loretta Devine, the friend of the heroine, has already her degree but she doesn't speak as a sophisticated lady. Rather, our heroine, with the hardships of life behind her, acts as though she is extremely well accomplished and quite versatile.
We are dealing with high powered people; the father being forced by his family to make sure that his pregnant girlfriend gave up her rights to the child. It's a story of the upper crust among minorities and it is very well done.
Rather, we're dealing with upper class minority people who hold extremely high values and our heroine here is no different. She discovers the child she gave up years ago, as he tutors her in preparation for the attaining of her degree.
Loretta Devine, the friend of the heroine, has already her degree but she doesn't speak as a sophisticated lady. Rather, our heroine, with the hardships of life behind her, acts as though she is extremely well accomplished and quite versatile.
We are dealing with high powered people; the father being forced by his family to make sure that his pregnant girlfriend gave up her rights to the child. It's a story of the upper crust among minorities and it is very well done.
Loved the movie!
cinemaniacz8 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw this movie and really enjoyed it!! I am big fans of Kimberly Elise and was looking through her filmography, which is how I found this movie. I am glad I found it...made for a nice little movie night. The story is about Mary (Kimberly Elise---needs to win an Oscar one day) who decides to go back to school many years later after giving her son up for adoption and pursuing a career in music. Like a fish out of water and feeling out of place, she turns to her best friend Meghan (Loretta Devine---love her!) who always gives her perspective. She also befriends an honor student mentor Noah (Denzel Whitaker), who actually turns out to be the son she gave up many years ago. She doesn't confess this to her son initially but later is forced to after some unfortunately awkward circumstances....yikes! By the way, Kimberly Elise never ceases to amaze me with the level of intensity she can bring to a character...I am surprised she doesn't get enough credit!! Don't want to give anything away...but great job overall!
A pleasant surprise...
Erin_Solo27 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Back to School Mom, both dramatically and at times comically, navigated through some important topics involving women and the African American community today. The issues of right to life, social class and the value of higher education were implicitly conveyed throughout the film. The protagonist's Mary Thomas (played by Kimberly Elise) story deals with the burden of giving her son up for adoption (essentially), only to meet him later after returning to college as a 41 year old non-traditional student. Kimberly Elise did an amazing job in displaying the vulnerability of a character that was conflicted with the decision to reveal herself to her son Noah (Denzel Whitaker). Bolstered by her reliable confidant and voice of reason Meghan (Loretta Devine), Mary is able to develop a sincere friendship with Noah and gain an inside look into the heart and character of the son she never raised
with some unexpected results!
The choice of casting Noah's parents, Lawrence and Dee Riley, proved to be a successful one. Henry Lennix played the role of a austere, iron-hearted father to perfection, while Garcelle Beauvais showcased her mature, supportive and maternal side quite effortlessly. In fact, the casting as a whole was successful, including the choice of Rick Fox (as love interest Matthew Kessler) who has surprisingly demonstrated he can hold his own in front of the camera. The one exception was the role of Noah's roommate Spencer (played by newcomer Syad Mufez Bukhari), whose scenes were not as believable and often snapped me back to the reality that I was watching a movie.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was not what I expected out of Lifetime! Kudos!
The choice of casting Noah's parents, Lawrence and Dee Riley, proved to be a successful one. Henry Lennix played the role of a austere, iron-hearted father to perfection, while Garcelle Beauvais showcased her mature, supportive and maternal side quite effortlessly. In fact, the casting as a whole was successful, including the choice of Rick Fox (as love interest Matthew Kessler) who has surprisingly demonstrated he can hold his own in front of the camera. The one exception was the role of Noah's roommate Spencer (played by newcomer Syad Mufez Bukhari), whose scenes were not as believable and often snapped me back to the reality that I was watching a movie.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was not what I expected out of Lifetime! Kudos!
A Symphony of Choices
lavatch8 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The film's title "Back to School Mom" does not convey the depth of feeling that comes across in the characters and relationships of this heartfelt family drama. Mary Thomas is returning to school to complete her college degree. But it turns out that she will be completing a very different and unfulfilled dream of reuniting with her son.
The time is 1994. The place is Berkeley, California. The fictional college that Mary is attending is called "Buckley." When resuming her studies, Mary is given a peer tutor, who is Lawrence Noah Riley III. Unknown to Noah, he is the son that she gave up when she gave birth to him during the time she was a student.
There is a long build-up to the revelation that Noah is Mary's son. Along the way, an intricately connected set of relationships develop, including that of Mary and Noah's music professor, Matthew Kessler. Mary's bestie, Dr Meaghan Graham offers moral support often through musical analogies, such as her description of life as "a symphony of choices."
One of the most touching transformations in the film is that of the father, Lawrence Riley Sr. From an authoritarian patriarch who insists that his son attend law school, Lawrence comes to recognize his son's artistic ability as a musician and that he must let Noah find his own path in life.
The sage Meaghan recognizes that "every finish line is the beginning of a whole new race." That wisdom is appropriate for the graduation ceremonies in which mother and son have been reunited in both love and friendship. The commencement ceremony is an appropriate moment for the start of their new relationship.
The time is 1994. The place is Berkeley, California. The fictional college that Mary is attending is called "Buckley." When resuming her studies, Mary is given a peer tutor, who is Lawrence Noah Riley III. Unknown to Noah, he is the son that she gave up when she gave birth to him during the time she was a student.
There is a long build-up to the revelation that Noah is Mary's son. Along the way, an intricately connected set of relationships develop, including that of Mary and Noah's music professor, Matthew Kessler. Mary's bestie, Dr Meaghan Graham offers moral support often through musical analogies, such as her description of life as "a symphony of choices."
One of the most touching transformations in the film is that of the father, Lawrence Riley Sr. From an authoritarian patriarch who insists that his son attend law school, Lawrence comes to recognize his son's artistic ability as a musician and that he must let Noah find his own path in life.
The sage Meaghan recognizes that "every finish line is the beginning of a whole new race." That wisdom is appropriate for the graduation ceremonies in which mother and son have been reunited in both love and friendship. The commencement ceremony is an appropriate moment for the start of their new relationship.
Meant for the light-hearted family few
simsimas-7989013 April 2021
It is a worthy film of your time and attention. It has a superficial tendency to deliver performances from actors that are great for what the film was intended for. It isnt as deep and thought provoking as Precious, or Romeo & Juliet, but it serves to fill for family home with an interesting turn of events at the moment you tire of waiting for that big reveal and turn around. Take it easy and enjoy the film. My family loved laughing about the secrets and stirring up "what would you do" conversations.
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