OnlyOnAOL: Kathryn Hahn's most unapologetic mom fail
By: Donna Freydkin
If you ask Kathryn Hahn the one thing she loathes the most about parenthood, she doesn't hesitate.
"I hate making school lunches. It's the worst. I won't do it. My husband does it. I hate it so much," she says.
Hahn, who has a son and daughter with actor hubby Ethan Sandler, chews up major scenery -- in the best sense -- in "Bad Moms," opening Friday. She's a single mom who loves sex, drugs and booze, not necessarily in that order. And she teams up with an exhausted Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) to dethrone the tough-as-nails PTA head (Christina Applegate) who rules their school with the finesse and dexterity of Kim Jong-un.
The movie takes an unflinching, very funny look at the pressure to be perfect -- to feed your kids only organic food, to never miss a sports event, to revel in the tiniest achievement, and to be a stalwart role model at all times. "It's hard to tackle this subject matter. And to feel that it's genuine and relatable," says Annie Mumolo, who plays Applegate's dim-witted sidekick Vicky.
She, too, has two kids, and remembers being home with her newborn and stuff she wishes she'd known then. "Just how isolating it can be. To remember to talk to people and ask for help if you really need it. Mine was, why are you crying all the time? Why are you still crying?," says Mumolo, writer of "Bridesmaids."
Hahn says the timing of the film couldn't be more "perfect," especially given all the mommy brawls that are ignited seemingly daily online. There's the endless debate between breast and bottle. The implied or overt criticism of moms who work. And the absolute mandate that motherhood be its own reward. Rarely do you find someone who admits -- or announces -- that it can be boring, repetitive, and mind-numbing, despite how much you love your kids.
"If I wasn't in this movie, I'd be so excited to see it," says Hahn. "There's such a saintly, weird aura around (motherhood), based on the images we've seen. We're the same humans and women as before having these cuties. What happens to the desire and brain-space? It's a crazy time we live in."
She's learned that the key, if there is one, is "letting go of expectations. And lots of rose. It's awesome to be doing a job I love and I'm thrilled my kids gets to see their mommy doing something that fulfills her."
Plus, reality doesn't always match expectations. And that's ok. Mumolo says that between "packing lunch and planning for dinner, it's not possible (to do it all). It's impossible. Something has to give."
