VOD Spotlight: Bad Moms
Knowing the creative background of writers/directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (the guys behind The Hangover films, for example) they might seem an unlikely choice to helm a movie about the awesomeness of moms. (Well, it IS an R-rated film about moms, so that might have something to do with it.) As star Mila Kunis says, “Reading the script, you’d think a woman wrote it, but talking to Jon and Scott, you realize it’s an homage to their wives.”
Lucas and Moore have been writing partners and friends for more than 15 years. During that time, they also became dads, as well as directors. “We write from home, sitting in front of our computers, so we see our wives bust their asses all day,” says Moore. “They’re running around, picking up kids, making lunches, dealing with all these pressures. There’s a lot of drama — and
fertile ground for comedy.” Lucas elaborates: “As dads, we’re mom-adjacent. It’s similar, but there’s a lot of pressure in the culture of moms that dads don’t have to deal with. We wanted to jump into those waters.”
Lucas and Moore found expert guides to help them navigate the world of moms and motherhood. As part of their research, they hosted dinner parties with lots of moms, lots of wine and lots of stories from the trenches. “What moms talk about is not how it’s usually portrayed in the average Hallmark-y Mom movie,” said Lucas. “It’s way more interesting and fun, and way more R-rated. Sometimes X-rated. And, yes, there’s conflict!” There’s also the façade that many moms feel obliged to maintain. “That’s what the movie is about,” said Lucas. “So many moms feel they have to pretend everything is easy, happy and good. But it’s really hard. With a glass of chardonnay, sometimes the truth comes out — and we start writing.”
Their wives were their first readers when Lucas and Moore finished the script. “Anything that feels authentically ‘mom’ is because we took their authentic stories,” said Moore. “They gave us notes, punched up jokes, and sometimes told us a real mom would never say this or that. When the cast came on board, we listened to them, too.”
Producer Suzanne Todd concludes, “Scott and Jon made a movie that is a love letter to their wives. They each have two kids of their own so they’ve lived on the other side of the experience.”
Bad Moms is available beginning Nov. 1 on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.
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