Garry Marshall has been around so long—as gag writer, sitcom creator, actor, director—that he can legitimately be called one of the last remaining links to a vanished era of comedy. This guy worked with George Burns and Danny Thomas, and that was years before he launched “Happy Days” and “Laverne and Shirley.”
Because comedy can be brutal in how quickly it changes styles, Marshall should be saluted for still cranking it out in the age of “Key &Peele” and “Broad City.” His latest feature film, “Mother’s Day,” can be forgiven for exhibiting a few old-fashioned traits.
The film follows his other ensemble comedies, “Valentine’s Day” (2010) and “New Year’s Eve” (2011), and it’s an improvement over those slapdash affairs. The subject of motherhood is flogged from a few different angles, most of which provide opportunities for skilled actresses to do their thing.
Jennifer Aniston plays an Atlanta divorcee sharing her two sons with a rascally ex (Timothy Olyphant, from “Justified”); he has just announced his marriage to a much younger woman (Shay Mitchell). So that’s a fun thing to contemplate as Mother’s Day approaches.
A suburban mom (Kate Hudson) is happily married to an Indian doctor (Aasif Mandvi), but can’t bring herself to break the news to her bigoted parents. When they arrive in town for a surprise visit, they’ll also learn that their other daughter (Sarah Chalke, from “Scrubs”) has a wife (Cameron Esposito).
Elsewhere, Jason Sudeikis plays a grieving widower, and Britt Robertson and Jack Whitehall are young parents contemplating marriage. Some of these stories overlap, and all are connected by a shopping-network queen played by Julia Roberts.
Marshall directed Roberts in “Pretty Woman,” so you’d think he could come up with a few funny things for her to do. But Aniston and Hudson get the better slapstick material, and of course those two know what to do with their opportunities.
Most of the humor is pretty dated—some of us thought “Laverne and Shirley” was pretty dated when it came along, and that was 40 years ago. Expect pratfalls and giant misunderstandings and a huggy conclusion.
At least Marshall knows something about building to a punch line, and he lands a few zingers. You’ll have to watch a frantic 10-minute scene to know why “I put on a bra for this?” is funny. But it is.
“Mother’s Day” 2 stars
A batch of skilled actresses — led by Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and Julia Roberts — come together for this old-fashioned (a nicer word than “dated”) comedy about motherhood. Director Garry Marshall sets the sitcom tone, and if the movie is tired it at least sets up Aniston and Hudson for some moments. With Jason Sudeikis.
Rating: PG-13, for subject matter, language
Showing: Alderwood mall, Cinebarre, Everett, Monroe, Marysville, Meridian, Thornton Place, Cascade Mall
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