Mother

With "Mother," director Albert Brooks has given us another great comedic filmmaking triumph. The acting is terrific, the laughs come at a fairly steady pace, and, like all great comedies, it has an inner meaning underneath all the smirks and giggles.

Brooks co-wrote, directed, and starred in this one, playing the somewhat unsuccessful science-fiction novelist John Henderson (he's contstantly being compared to Stephen King) who blames his problems with women on Mom. Therefore, he decides to move back in with Mother (played by Debbie Reynolds, whom Brooks somehow lured back to the big screen) and figure out their problems. What ensues might have been sitcom-style laughs, but Brooks and co-writer Monica Johnson know better than that; the laughs are pretty fast-paced but their well-observed ranting as opposed to tasteless wisecracks.

The keys to the film, however, are Brooks and Reynolds, the latter which brings a special emotional undertone to a role that would have been played as all sap by any other actress. Check "Mother" out; if you want smart, funny humor and even a tad bit of drama, you should enjoy it immensely. Rated PG-13. 104 minutes. 8 out of 10.

This is a great movie that is a lot of fun. I really liked Debbie Reynolds, who I think deserved a Best Supporting Actress award for her performance. Her comic timing is perfect.

Albert Brooks is great too. He reminds somewhat of Woody Allen, playing a neurotic science fiction writer who gets writer's block. He moves back home with Mom (Reynolds) in hopes of breaking the block.

The interplay between these two great actors is marvelous, thanks to a wonderful Brooks script.

One other comment I will add is that there is practically nothing in this movie to find offensive or objectionable. Good, clean fun, with many laughs.

Brooks more recent movie, "The Muse" featured a similar theme of a writer whose talents are temporarily stifled. I wonder if there is any autobiography to Brooks' scripts, but I am sure there is not, for his stories are often full of wonderfully funny moments.

I really recommend "Mother".

Albert's Brooks' comedy 'Mother' is frequently hilarious, with some cracking dialogue, and highly perceptive: few viewers will fail to recognise some aspect of their relationships with their family in its portrayal of its eponymous central character and her middle-aged son, played by Brooks himself. But in taking their interaction as its principal subject, instead of using it as a backdrop to a wider story, the film chooses to pursue limited ambitions, and there's a level of contrivance necessary to support this narrow focus: while, at a micro-level, the film is perfect, the overall plot makes less sense, and the ending is a little pat. Not a great film; but one guaranteed to make you smile.

My mother was always a fan of Debbie Reynolds, so I took her to the theater to see this film when it came out. I must agree with everyone else who states that Debbie Reynolds should have been recognized by the Academy for this film. She nailed the part so perfectly, that sitting there, watching her on the screen with my own mom in the seat next to me, all I could think of was "My God, they're twins!"

Sometimes, from the endless stream of average movies, comes a gem, this is one such film.

Albert Brooks is impossible to beat if you're looking for character driven comedy, and "Mother" comes second only to another Brooks film, "Modern Romance".

Here we have the story of a science-fiction writer, blocked and fresh from his second divorce. It's the break up with this woman that prompts John Henderson (Brooks) to move back in with his mother, in the hope that solving his life-long problems with her will lead to the solution of his myriad of other problems.

The comedy is brilliant throughout. The scene in his mother's kitchen (food talk) is a contender for the finest comedy scene ever written. And the small things, that other writers neglect, are what make this film a standout: One example is the scene when Brooks' character is attempting to make a start on his next novel; it's truly hilarious, and any telling of its humour hear wouldn't convey the true laugh-out-loud quality of the moment, so just watch the movie.

Albert Brooks and Debbie Reynolds both give perfect performances as the lost and insecure son, and the unsure and uninterested mother, and their chemistry is unique.

An absolute comedy gem, and my second favourite film of all time; second only to "Modern Romance"