“I Don’t Know How She Does It” opened in theaters everywhere last Friday. Based on the critically acclaimed bestseller by Allison Pearson, it stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Greg Kinnear, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Munn and Christina Hendricks. The film follows a Boston-based working mother trying desperately to juggle marriage, children, and a high-stress job. One of our newest contributors, Sally, went to a screening of it and these are her thoughts!
“I Don’t Know How She Does It”, is a less than uplifting reflection of the life of a working mom, which actually caused me to feel somewhat stressed by the time I left the theater. Kate, (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) is a disheveled, disorganized mother and yet a seemingly successful investment manager. Her husband Richard (played by Greg Kinnear) is in and out of employment, and has taken on many of the household responsibilities along with the assistance of the nanny. The couple has two adorable children, Ben a two-year-old boy who is not speaking yet, and a daughter Emily who has deep-seeded resentment towards her mother’s working situation. The couple seemingly continues to share a great love, and yet they lack time to enjoy one another. Overall, quite sad!
As an avid Sex in the City and Sarah Jessica Parker fan, I was excited to see this film; however I left the theater feeling disappointed. The idea of the film is that the working mom can “have it all”, however the stress and chaos caused in this woman’s life by trying to juggle her home and career would scare anyone away from this way of life. That being said, the characters referred to as the “Momsters,” otherwise known as the ‘stay-at-home moms’ are no more appealing, if not less. The one “Momster,” Beth, shown periodically throughout the movie, working out on an elliptical trainer and discussing both her life and that of Kate, could just as well have been left out completely. Her role in the film seemed simply obnoxious and extremely stereotypically incorrect, not to mention just plain retched.
There were some great lines throughout the movie and the scenes with Kate’s boss Jack Abelhammer (played by Pierce Brosnan) are entertaining, as well as the heartwarming scenes with her children. Kate’s hard driven assistant Momo is an extremely entertaining character, although at the onset of the movie, I found her rude. She offered some comical relief and another perspective to the chaos unfolding in each scene. I was also pleased with the way the movie ended.
Though much of the film reminded me of the Bridget Jones’ Diary films, this film is much less funny and the pathetic level does not make it to the point of being comical, as much as it is annoying. I would wait to see this on DVD, unless you have a theater in your area that still offers those good old fashion weekend matinee prices!
YOUR TURN: Have you read the book? Seen the film? What did you think?
Disclosure: Sally and friend were invited to an advanced screening of the film; all opinions are her own. For more on the movie, visit the film’s Facebook page and download the free “Get The Look” App for iPad or iPhone.
