Mother’s Day (DVD): Review

Film

Mother’s Day, that one day a year, when it’s all about moms. An ensemble of talent bringing to life several generations for the week leading up to Mother’s Day. Sandy (Jennifer Aniston – We’re The Millers), Henry (Timothy Olyphant), Miranda (Julia Roberts – Secret In Their Eyes), Jesse (Kate Hudson), Bradley (Jason Sudeikis – Angry Birds), Kimberly (Loni Love – Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2) all come together as their lives and quests for love intersect, as they stumble along on life’s journey.

With so many different issues to deal with in family life these days, from a spouse passing, so inter-racial marriage, gay couples and the acceptance of these variations by society at large, the film takes the opportunity to poke fun at the awkwardness and political correctness (or lack thereof) that people suffer each day, in a bid to hold on to their respective beliefs, or abide by societal norms.

Mother’s Day is a heartwarming story. While it does well on the subject of the need for love a bit at times, it drives its message home towards the end. A slow start, that eventually picks up, bringing a smile, and a few good laughs.

Not a laugh-a-minute comedy, with a few rather awkward situations, but viewers are sure to relate, if not in deed, then at least in empathy. The straight forward plot line leaves little room for twists and turns, but with so many characters, nuances, and chance encounters to keep track of, this is most likely a blessing in disguise.

A fun, lighthearted peek at a bunch of families, and how they try to overcome, stick together, and above all, share their love with one another. Mother’s Day is a film for those who enjoy a bit of the romantic side, as well as anyone looking for a bit of a laugh. Best of all, it’s a film to enjoy with the family, whatever their differences may be.

Disc

Mother’s Day is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.

A very basic disc, containing the main feature, and nothing else. The technical quality of the film is pretty decent.

Video

Video is encoded at a high bitrate, with no visible artefacts on screen. Colours are vibrant, with no colour bleed. Blacks are deep, and retain their detail in darker scenes.

Viewers with the relevant hardware or software can scale up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they wish.

Audio

There is a choice of Dolby Surround (giving a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack) or Dolby Stereo (giving a downmix of 2.0 channels). These are accessed via the setup menu on the disc.

Audio is encoded at a high average bitrate. Dialogue is clear (especially when selecting the 5.1 mix, and using the centre channel).

Navigation

Navigation is easy to understand, and use, with only a few options, namely to play the main feature, setup which soundtrack to use, or a scene selection submenu, which provides stills from scenes.

These are rather small, desaturated thumbnails, so would likely be a bit difficult to figure exactly what scene they would lead to, especially on smaller screens.

Bonus Features

There are unfortunately no bonus features on the disc.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb