Mother's Day
Performance & Direction: Mother's Day Review
Last updated: January 26, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Mother's Day (2016) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 6.0/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Comedy.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Comedy is often anchored by its ensemble, and Mother's Day features a noteworthy lineup led by Jennifer Aniston . Supported by the likes of Julia Roberts and Kate Hudson , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of Mother's Day (2016) is mixed. With an audience rating of 6.0/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Story & Plot Summary: Mother's Day
Quick Plot Summary: Mother's Day is a Comedy, Drama, Romance film that brings laughter through sharp writing and comedic timing, providing amusement while touching on deeper societal themes. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
The comedic structure relies on both situational humor and character-based comedy. Sandy is a stressed-out, single mom who learns that her ex-husband is marrying a younger woman. Her friend Jesse's parents don't know that she has a family or that her sister, Gabi is married to a woman. Jesse's friend, Kristin, is juggling motherhood of a toddler, a patient boyfriend who keeps proposing, and searching for her biological mother. Bradley is a widower who's trying to raise two daughters on his own, while Miranda is too busy with her career to worry about children. When their respective problems intersect and start coming to a head, the Mother's Day holiday takes on a special meaning for all. The film finds humor in relatable situations while maintaining narrative momentum. The jokes serve the story, with callbacks and running gags that reward attentive viewers.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The opening establishes the comedic tone and introduces the central conflict through humor and character quirks.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The comedic climax ties together recurring jokes and character arcs, delivering both laughs and emotional satisfaction.
Ending Explained: Mother's Day
Ending Breakdown: Mother's Day concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to comedy resolution.
The emotional climax centers on character transformation, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the comedy themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of Mother's Day reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch Mother's Day?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Comedy films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want some laughs and light entertainment
Box Office Collection: Mother's Day
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $25.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $48.8M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Mother's Day Budget
The estimated production budget for Mother's Day is $25.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: Mother's Day
All Cast & Crew →
Where to Watch Mother's Day Online?
Streaming Hub📺 Stream on
Lionsgate Play
Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel
Lionsgate Play Amazon ChannelMother's Day Parents Guide & Age Rating
2016 AdvisoryWondering about Mother's Day age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Mother's Day is 118 minutes (1h 58m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.0/10, and global performance metrics, Mother's Day is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2016 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mother's Day worth watching?
Mother's Day is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Comedy movies. It has a verified rating of 6/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Mother's Day parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Mother's Day identifies it as PG-13. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Mother's Day?
The total duration of Mother's Day is 118 minutes, which is approximately 1h 58m long.
Best Movies to Watch if you liked Mother's Day
How Mother's Day Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for Mother's Day
> Mothers and their responsibilities despite struggling through. I heard Garry Marshall has died a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to watch it rather sooner. He was a good director, one of the rare kind to focus on the women subjects and multi-starrer. I loved films such as 'Overboard', 'Valentine's Day', 'Pretty Woman', 'Frankie and Johnny' and many more. His films definitely not for everyone, but certain kinds of viewers would enjoy them and so did I. This is the final movie in the Special Day trilogy. I certainly adored 'Valentine's Day', but the next film 'New Year's Eve' was pretty bad and this third film comes between those two. The story was okay, but nothing looked seriously compelling. The best parts were the actors, theirs present and performances makes it watchable. What Jason Sudeikis is doing in the 'Mother's Day' poster is the first thing I wanted to be answered. The story opens a week or so early to the mother's day and focuses on the various mothers who are all has connections somewhere. Being the mother and their responsibilities were this film's purpose. Though I anticipated a bit emotional or the strong message, but it ended as an ordinary film. Surely a decent timepass film, but it had its chances to be a better one and it never untilised that opportunity well. A few people might like it, but most won't. Overall a feel good film, despite whatever your rating going to be at the end of the watch. 6/10
Alright viewing. Nothing worth remembering or revisiting though. 'Mother’s Day' has a good cast list. Jennifer Aniston is always a pleasant watch, as she is here as Sandy. Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Jason Sudeikis also feature. I liked all three of them, they and Aniston are certainly the strongest parts of the film. Garry Marshall staple Héctor Elizondo also appears, he is as likeable as he is in, e.g., 'The Princess Diaries'. Jack Whitehall and Britt Robertson are together in this, I found Whitehall a bit wooden to be honest. Elsewhere, they somehow make Margo Martindale unlikeable - I've only seen her in sweet roles before, but her Florence (and Robert Pine's Earl) is rather detestable. That whole 'arc' is poorly written. Not as cheesy as predicted, even if it still does feature a fair amount of cheddar. The main cast make this an OK watch, if not necessarily a good one.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
