Dating My Mother

By: Robert Warren

In the Tinder-age, you create an account with a few clicks and a couple of photos. Then, you`re in and you can begin searching (well filtering) for love through online dating like in this edgy off-beat comedy called Dating My Mother, starring Patrick Reilly as Danny and Kathryn Erbe as his mother named Joan. Joan wants more after her husband has died. She wants a relationship, one aside from the mother-son relationship she has with Danny. Danny is just lounging around the house, but to Joan it isn`t enough. She wants more from him, but all Danny wants is a job that deals with writing. This comedy is edgy, yet tasteful as unemployed Danny moves through the challenges of living at home with his mom on a day-to-day basis as she encourages him while she seeks more from life.

The role Danny plays in this movie is significant as he seems to fill in the pieces left by his deceased father. He helps his mother navigate this new life as she tries to figure it out and provides straight forward answers like fashion advice. Danny even sleeps in the same bed as his mother! The most meaningful role Danny has in Joan’s life is when she becomes depressed from the sadness that she bears of the passing of her husband, Danny can uplift her with his sarcastic off-beat comedy. Also, Danny has a special relationship with his mom as she knows he is gay and they speak about relationships very openly with one another.

Erbe does a stellar job at playing the mother in this movie. Her Joan knows what she wants (someone to be with) and is willing to fight through any emotional or literal struggle to get there. In fact, Joan’s search for new love all begins when George (Jason Kirsch) who asks her out. Unfortunately, she is weirded out by the idea as she is still raw from the recent passing of her husband. However, it gets her thinking she should start dating again and then she quickly turning to the dating site Match. In the era of the internet, virtual dating is threaded throughout this film. Director Mike Roma makes it so that viewers are not just looking at a computer screen or a mobile phone. The dating potentials appear in the background as though you can hear them pitching themselves to Joan. It is very well played.

What also works well for this movie is the way the director gets viewers attached to the characters showcasing Danny with his sarcastic quirky comedy and very driven mother Joan.  It seems that his sarcasm always comes at the right time. Roma really gets viewers feeling a desire for the characters to find love and Reilly does a fantastic job with rocking his character as he owns his cynicism yet sweetly shows off his caring side towards his mother. Taking on an ambitious path to seek relationships Danny is well played as a guiding hand to his mother which is well done by the actor Reilly. It’s thought out and played quite well.

Dating My Mother is a relatable movie with its take on swipe left and swipe right mobile dating and how it handles various challenges that could reflect current culture. It tackles challenges in this movie like dating as a widower and also dating within the gay community. Additionally, it faces head on the idea of leaving home when you desire to pursue something more out of life. This movie tackles creating a plan and what thinking is needed to venture further. With great performances, culture relevant themes and edgy spin on relationships, this movie is definitely one to check out.