Mom – Good Karma and the Big Weird

By: Julie Mante

Christy (Anna Faris) meets a handsome stranger when she is trying to pay the car meter. He gives her enough change and they flirt a bit. It is a bit of a surprise when the two end up walking together into the diner where Christy hangs out with her mother Bonnie (Allison Janney) and their friends, Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy), Jill (Jaime Pressly) and Wendy (Beth Hall). The biggest surprise is mystery man is the nephew of her AA sponsor Marjorie. Nick (Chris Pratt), the nephew, says hello to his aunt and thanks her for letting use his storage locker. When he leaves, all the women pepper Marjorie with questions about Nick and gush about how hot he is. Marjorie disappoints everyone when she says that Nick is off limits and says that no one can date him.

Later that night, while Christy is study for her midterms, Bonnie tells Christy that she’s found shirtless picture of Nick on Facebook. While looking at shirtless Nick on a horse, Christy complains about how unfair it is that she cannot date Nick. Bonnie encourages her to pursue Nick anyway. She believes Christy deserves to date a handsome guy and sticking it to Marjorie is a bonus for her. Christy is adamant that she will not go behind Marjorie’s back and date Nick. Bonnie continues to coax her by saying that he’s single and works as a riding instructor at Valley Glen Stables. Christy repeats that she will not date Nick and opens her laptop. Bonnie tells her Nick’s last name knowing that her daughter is not studying, but trying to learn more about Nick on Facebook.

The next day, Christy shows up at Valley Glen Stables to see Nick. They agreed to meet because she tells him that she is interested in her son Roscoe (Blake Garrett Rosenthal) getting riding lessons from him. Nick says that it is better if he shows Christy how he would teach rather than telling her. This makes Christy nervous because she wants to spend time with a hot guy, not ride horses. He assures her that Starburst is a gentle horse and Christy should not be afraid. Christy has some awkward moments during her lesson. She falls off the horse when he shows her how to climb on. First, the horse is riding too slow. When Nick encourages her to speed Starburst up by kicking her, Christy kicks too hard and the horse goes too fast. After the lesson, Nick is carrying Christy because she hurt her ankle after slipping in the ladies’ bathroom. Christy and Nick have sex in the stable. Christy tells him that he cannot tell his aunt that they are seeing each other. He agrees.

Christy comes home happy and greets Bonnie. Bonnie notices Christy’s big smile and asks her how she’s doing. Christy is thrilled that her nineteen months of sex drought are over. Bonnie is delighted and is eager for details. It is a rare sight to see mother and daughter giggling like school girls as Christy tells her mother what happened with Nick in the stable. Christy tells her mother that she and Nick are having dinner tomorrow night and she is anxious to see him again. Bonnie wants Christy to tell Marjorie so she can rub it in the older woman’s face, but Christy says that she and Nick agreed not to tell Marjorie. Bonnie cannot even be too sad about that because, “My little girl got banged by a cowboy in a stable.” Christy has the perfect reply, ” Always trying to make you proud mom.” The two hug it out.

As they are cleaning up after their AA meeting, Marjorie notices Christy limping and asks what happened to her leg. Christy lies that she got hurt at work. Jill and Wendy both offer advice on what Christy could do and Christy assures them that she is fine. Bonnie is having a good time knowing this secret so she adds to the conversation by telling corny cowboy jokes to annoy Christy. Bonnie says she needs a ride and Marjorie asks Christy if she joining them for a coffee at the dinner. Christy declines because she has a new class. Her friends are curious how she could have a new class in the middle of the term and did not tell them about it. Christy repeats the lie even when Jill says that she is dressed for a date, not a class. No matter what her friends say, Christy does not back down from her lie and leaves to go meet Nick at the restaurant.

At the restaurant, Nick confesses to Christy that he has never had sex in a stable before and Christy says it was her first stable romp. too. Nick wants to kiss her so as Christy puckers up and leans in, she is surprised to see that Nick moved his chair. It is more surprising that Nick starts making out with Christy in the restaurant. When the waiter arrives, Christy tries to tell Nick that they have company, but Nick moves the smooches to her neck. The waiter tries to power through the specials, but he becomes so uncomfortable with Nick’s behavior that he tells them that he will come back later. By this point, everyone in the restaurant is staring at them so Christy tries to tell Nick that they are making everyone uncomfortable. Nick does not seem to notice or care that they have an audience, but he decides to address them anyone and loudly says how pretty Christy is. He decides to move his chair across from Christy’s. When the waiter comes back, Nick orders and says that Christy is the woman he is going to marry. Christy is speechless.

Bonnie is surprised that Christy is home early. Christy tells her mother that Nick is really weird. He’s actually “big weird.” Christy talks to her mother about Nick sees them getting married, but despite her discomfort with him she still goes back to place. When Bonnie wonders why, Christy reminds her that she has not had sex for nineteen months before Nick. He is weird, but not bad enough to turn down sex. After sex, he made a sketch of Christy as a horse, but it was more of a centaur (half human, half horse). They had sex again, he fell asleep and then she snuck out. When Bonnie is shocked that Christy slept with him again, she just repeats her nineteen months of drought. The two hear someone singing outside. It’s Nick. When they walk to the window, they see him serenading Christy on his guitar. Christy is at a loss about what to do about Nick.

The next day at the diner, Christy confides in Wendy and Jill about her Nick situation. Wendy does not feel that Nick’s behavior is a big deal while Jill is unsympathetic because Christy got to date Nick and she did not. Christy decides that she is going to break up with Nick and feels that is better to tell Marjorie first before Nick does. When Marjorie arrives, she knows something is off. Christy admits that she has been seeing Nick and Marjorie asks her if she slept with Nick. The ladies confirm that she did. Three times. Marjorie admits that her nephew is “not well,” which shocks the group. Quickly, she says that while Nick has never hurt anyone he has spent most of his life in a mental health facility. Right now, he has permission to work at the stable because the horses keep him calm. Christy is upset that Marjorie did not tell her about Nick’s history, but Marjorie reminds her that she told her not to date him. Bonnie is concerned about Christy’s safety, but Marjorie assures her that Nick has never hurt anyone yet feels things deeply.

In the closer, Christy returns to Valley Glen Stables to tell Nick that she cannot see him anymore. Nick says okay, but he seems that he does not understand what Christy is saying. The two go back and forth until Christy gives up and says that she is leaving. When Nick asks her what is supposed to do with his broken heart, Christy decides to give him one last stable bang to remember her by.