The Mom Crowd

You may have already heard that Angela Kinsey who plays Angela Martin on the hilarious NBC series ‘The Office’ gave birth to a baby girl on May 3, 2008. Isabel Ruby was born at 12:50 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces.

I didn’t even know she was pregnant! What kind of a fan am I? As I think about the last few episodes it makes sense why we only saw her face. I bet it was pretty awkward to film the ‘love scene’ with Rainn Wilson (Dwight).

Angela is married to Toby’s brother. Warren Lieberstein is Paul Lieberstein’s (Toby) brother. Maybe they met at an office Christmas party.

I found these three gems on NBC’s website: Angela’s surprise baby shower; Oscar and Brian (Kevin) share a message with Angela’s baby; and Leslie (Stanley) gives baby name advice.

Since, we are on the subject: What did you think of ‘The Office’s’ Season Finale?

Last weekend I saw Iron Man with a friend. (It was awesome!!) After the credits rolled, I saw a dad leave the theater with his son, who couldn’t have been older than 6. My friend and I looked at one another and agreed, “Yeah, not exactly kids’ stuff, what we just saw.” It was loud, exciting fun, that’s for sure, full of adventure and humor. But it included some (PG-13 level) scenes of torture, violence, sex, and drinking, all things I’d prefer my child to not witness at such a young age. Just because it’s a comic book movie doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for a child.

We’ve all been there before, seeing children in the audience for movies that are just too mature for them. I remember seeing Mean Girls (PG-13) a few years ago, and while I found it entertaining, I was more disturbed to see the 7 and 8-year olds next to me watching with wide-eyed wonderment. With their moms. Really? The whole movie was a primer on how to manipulate your friends. Of course, older people can pick up on the sarcasm, the satire, the dark comedy, the lessons learned. Little girls, I fear, just study the clothes, the catchphrases, and the attitudes. Not to mention every little thing Lindsay Lohan does. I tried to assure myself that those moms would talk to their girls afterwards about the good and the bad in the movie. But what’s the likelihood of that happening?

I saw the first Narnia movie (PG) with a child no older than 5 sitting behind me. Naturally, she cried throughout several portions of the film. It’s seen as a family film, but frankly, there’s just a lot of visually scary stuff for a young child to take in. I read that Prince Caspian, opening today, is a little darker than the first and heavier on battle scenes, yet it’s also rated PG, so doubtless there will be many families in the theaters this weekend eager to see what happens next in the saga. It’s an excellent franchise, for sure, but for kids how old?

I think the biggest shock I ever had was watching a mom buy a ticket for The 40-Year Old Virgin (R) for herself and her middle-school aged son. Maybe that’s some kind of progressive parenting technique I haven’t heard of yet, but you can bet your Schrute Bucks that I won’t be doing that kind of thing with my kids.

How young is too young? The first movie I remember seeing in the theater as a child was Bambi. I was probably 7ish. I also remember seeing the first part of The Neverending Story and being scared, so my mom, sister, & I left early. I was 8. These kids’ movies both contained material that was plenty mature for my young years. My folks would allow me to see something rated PG-13 only under the most limited of circumstances, and even in high school, still had a say in what movies I saw. (I remember explaining very thoroughly what In the Name of the Father [R] was about to my dad one Friday night, because I desperately wanted to see that with my friends. I was a senior. He eventually said it’d be okay. And it was a turning point for me; from then on, I was trusted to use my own judgment in choosing movies.)

My daughter is still a couple of years away from her first movie, I think. When we feel she is ready, we’ll probably see something very G, something very sweet. As my kids grow up, I know I’ll be very protective of what they take in, and I’ll make no apologies for it. There is a lot of garbage out there, stuff that is way too mature for kids, marketed directly to them. When I taught sixth graders, I couldn’t believe the movie titles I heard them discussing on a weekly basis: every disgusting horror pic ever made, basically, along with all kinds of teen flicks pandering to kids their age. I wish more parents would think carefully about what they allow their kids to see. People comment a lot about how much young kids know in this day & age, and the movies they watch play a huge part in that.

What is your criteria for taking your kids to movies? Do you read about movie content before taking them? If so, what sites do you use to get the information? Do you base your decisions on the ratings? Is it okay for parents to take their children to PG-13 (or even R) movies as long as they are there with them? Tell me I’m not the only one concerned about this issue. (And for goodness’ sakes, we haven’t even touched the inappropriateness of t.v. yet. I thought I’d limit the soapbox for film first.)

p.s. I’m well aware that lots of kids buy tickets for one thing and see something entirely different – so I know there’s only so much a parent can do, too. This concern is mainly addressed at the folks who take their kids to see mature material with them.

If you were near a t.v. at all in the past few weeks, surely you saw the trailer for Baby Mama. I caught this new movie starring Tina Fey & Amy Poehler this week with some friends. It was funny! I was worried that the funniest parts would all be in the preview, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were more laughs to be found throughout the whole thing.

I’ve read some reviews online that cover how the film handles the major topics of single parenting, surrogacy, etc. I’ll leave those topics to those folks. I don’t much feel like discussing whether or not it was realistic. After all, this is just a movie. A need for realism should be checked at the door. Instead, I’ll just mention a couple of things I liked about it:

* Steve Martin is in it! His role is laugh-out-loud funny. He plays a New-Agey kook-slash-business professional, which is funny in and of itself.

* Sigourney Weaver is in it! She also made me laugh out loud with her strange character tics and line deliveries.

* Greg Kinnear is in it! He plays the primary love interest to Tina Fey, and he was a “supercutie” (see the movie and you’ll understand this play on words.)

* When Tina Fey’s character brings home a video of “extreme natural childbirth” for Amy Poehler to view, the latter responded with my favorite line from the whole film: “Oh! I can’t wait to not watch this.”  (I am so using that in the future.)

* It took place in Philadelphia, which is where my husband is from. So when Tina Fey’s character ordered a cheesesteak and Birch Beer (which is a soda specific to that area), I got all proud. There was also serious TastyKake product placement. Yum. I think it’s time to head back and visit family!

* The opening credits show cute babies everywhere! So when the main character walks into a mommy & me yoga class and we see babies being swayed above their moms’ heads in slow-motion, I giggled and said, “That’s the cutest thing ever!”

In all, it was a sweet, silly little movie. I enjoyed Juno far more, but that one was pretty different altogether in tone and style. Have you seen Baby Mama yet? Do you plan to? Share your thoughts! (ps. Amy Poehler is now pregnant in real life, so we can all imagine what she’ll be like when she goes into labor: hilarious.)

A couple of weeks ago, my husband shocked me by bringing home Raising Helen from the library.  He said, “I’ve never seen it but I thought it’d be fun to watch together.”  I had only seen it once, before I had my kids.  I remembered it was the least annoying Kate Hudson movie I’d seen.  And Dave was right: we did have fun watching it together, mostly for the cheesy tagline: “She gave up the life she loved for the new loves of her life.”  Catchy!  I kept telling Dave, “This is still the life she loves.  Soon you’ll meet the kids who’ll become the loves of her life.”  Ha ha ha.  It doesn’t take much to get us going.

Anyway, Kate’s okay in this one.  She plays Helen Harris, who becomes the primary caregiver of her deceased sister’s three children.  Before the accident, Helen was a carefree, up-and-coming, in-the-moment kind of woman living in New York.  She loved her job in a swanky modeling agency, and she had a pulse on everything that was new and fierce.  She was also the “cool” aunt in the family, the one with the great hair.

Now that she’s suddenly in charge of a 15-year old, a 12-year old, and a 7-year old, Helen is forced to give up her old lifestyle (the one she always loved, sorry, couldn’t resist) and become a mom – overnight.  This involves more than just making sure the kids get to school on time.  This means Helen has to grow up herself, hence the title.

Throughout the film, we see Helen enduring lots of life changes in a short period of time: losing her job (“fashion and family don’t mix”, her boss says dismissively) and moving to Queens, becoming a receptionist at a used car dealership, and trying to prove to her surviving sister Jenny (played to annoying, uptight perfection by Joan Cusack) that she is capable of raising the kids.  Before she gains Jenny’s respect, though, she has to learn how to be a parent.  Before, she was teenager Audrey’s fun aunt – now, she’s the one calling the shots.  And Audrey tests her boundaries, dating the school bad boy and sneaking out on prom night.  When Helen tries to put a stop to it all, Audrey shouts: “Don’t you remember what it’s like to be young?”  And Helen replies, “Of course I remember.  It was last Wednesday!” 

There are numerous other things happening that Helen has to deal with, like starting a new relationship with yummy John Corbett (hey, no time like the present!), and mending the strained relationship with her sister.  Of course, it all works out in the end.  Helen makes her authority clear to the kids, and they love and respect her as their new parent figure.  Jenny gives Helen the respect she earns.  And little Abigail Breslin learns to tie her shoes all by herself.  Helen’s a success, and still with great hair!

Interesting quotes from the film:

“You’re quite the detective!” – Helen to Jenny  “No, I’m a mom.” – Jenny, trusting her instincts to find Audrey on prom night

“Not all women are meant to be mothers.” – Ibsen, as quoted by Helen’s former boss

“I’m not a mom.  I’m not brave!” – Helen, panicking

Did you see this one?  Was it strange to see Helen Mirren and Hayden Panettiere playing parts other than Queen Elizabeth and the Heroes cheerleader, respectively?  I know this is a Garry Marshall movie and all, but is this a realistic portrayal of the demands of motherhood? 

P.S.  I just finished watching No Reservations, the little-seen Catherine Zeta-Jones/Aaron Eckhart rom-com.  Its plot is pretty similar to Raising Helen, except this time, our “new mom” is an executive chef.  Interestingly enough, she did not have to quit her job to take care of her niece.  The surviving daughter in this one is also played by Abigail Breslin (that child is everywhere these days!)  I found the movie to be about as bland as its title.  It focused on the relationship of the two romantic leads and all of the scrumptious foods they prepared – not that there’s anything wrong with that.  Foodies would love this movie – I just didn’t think it had much to say about motherhood other than, whoa, finding a decent babysitter takes some effort!   Check it out and tell me what you think!

I recently discovered the brilliance that is Friday Night Lights on dvd, thanks to my local library. Maybe some of you have seen it. It’s a series based on the movie (which was based on a book, which was based on real-life events). I’m not a football fan, but I don’t have to be to enjoy this show. It’s a superior drama with compelling stories and dynamite acting. It tackles great themes (no pun intended!) and is gritty in its realistic storytelling style.

(For the uninitiated: FNL is centered on the Taylor family, recently relocated to the small – and fictional – town of Dillon, Texas, where dad Eric is given the immense challenge of coaching the elite high school football team. Eric and his wife Tami have a daughter, Julie, who is a sophomore at the high school. And Tami becomes the school’s guidance counselor. The close-knit family discovers that for the people of Dillon, life consists of little else than winning football games. Pressure ensues. Relationships are tested. The family learns to survive in the small-town public’s eye.)

Season one was great. I can’t wait to see season two when it arrives on dvd (April 22!). And I just learned that the show (whose ratings have always been fledgling and whose survival has always seemed doubtful) will be coming back this fall! In honor of its renewal, I thought I’d write about one of the highlights: Connie Britton as Tami Taylor.

Britton is a phenomenal actress. She portrays the varying emotions of devotion, exasperation, wisdom, confusion, and pride with ease, sometimes all in the same scene. As Tami juggles the pressures of the town, the fullness of her husband’s workload, and the angst of her teenage daughter, not to mention her own career (she counsels the same students her husband coaches on the field, creating interesting ethical dilemmas for Eric & Tami), her strength of character shines brightly. She looks after struggling students with maternal wisdom, encouraging them to achieve everything they can for their futures. She gives her husband insight into the emotional lives of the players and puts up with prying townspeople. She handles the pressure of being married to the head coach with grace. And she always looks fabulous. Seriously, she has the best hair and sense of style I’ve ever seen for a t.v. mom (Rachel Green doesn’t count).

The scene I recall most vividly is one wherein Tami confronts her daughter about her plans to have sex with her boyfriend. It’s pretty powerful. I’m not sure I’d say everything to my child in the exact same way or with the exact same words – thank goodness that’s a conversation many, many, MANY! years away with my own daughter – but it’s a compelling slice of t.v. motherhood nonetheless.  And Julie ultimately opts out of getting intimate with her boyfriend, as a direct result of this confrontation with her mother. Julie trusted what her mother had to say over her own raging hormones.

Season two is all about Tami having a second child – a surprise, of course – and how the family adjusts to that addition. I can’t wait to see how she handles everything!

Have you seen Friday Night Lights? What makes a realistic t.v. mom? And who are some of your favorites?