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Mad Mom

Name: Mad Mom
Director: Jean-François Rivard
Released: 2019
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

1.2/10

Minimal

2019

Director

Jean-François Rivard

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Mad Mom is a genre-driven psychological thriller that prioritizes domestic tension over social representation. The narrative engine relies on the collision of two maternal archetypes, focusing on the breakdown of the ideal family unit through obsessive maternalism. While the film challenges the benevolent matriarch cliché by introducing a pathological, protective mother, it remains confined to a narrow demographic. The conflict is deeply personal and localized, lacking engagement with broader systemic themes. Ultimately, the film adheres to conventional storytelling frameworks. It explores the disruption of domestic equilibrium but does not attempt to challenge wider social hierarchies or provide diverse perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does Mad Mom have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships, specifically the engagement between Amber and Luke. It does not include any characters with non-straight or non-cisgender identities, nor does it critique straight-centered structures.

How does Mad Mom portray gender?

Fair

The film explores women's ability to drive the story through psychological instability rather than systemic subversion. It disrupts the nurturing mother cliché by presenting Sharon as a disruptive, violent force.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Mad Mom?

Minimal

The narrative centers on a homogeneous social group. There is no evidence of diverse ethnic or racial perspectives being included within the domestic setting.

How does Mad Mom represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story critiques the stability of traditional family structures by framing maternal bonds as sites of conflict. It lacks broader critiques of religion or Western institutions.

Does Mad Mom include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities being integrated into the narrative or used as central plot drivers.

Present on Screen

Subverts the 'nurturing mother' cliché by presenting a character driven by pathological, violent protective instincts.
Explores complex women's ability to drive the story through the lens of psychological warfare and interpersonal competition.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diverse ethnic or racial perspectives.
Provides no representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities.
Remains within a narrow, homogeneous social group without engaging broader systemic themes.

Official Synopsis

Amber Vickers is ecstatic that she will finally be making the walk down the aisle with her prince charming Luke. After multiple failed relationships, she was beginning to think that something was wrong; but her soon-to-be mother-in-law and best friend, Jill, believes that Amber is the picture-perfect daughter she never had. Everything is coming up roses until Sharon Vickers, Amber's mother, arrives for a visit. Gaudy, straight-laced and opinionated, Sharon is the complete opposite of Jill. What was supposed to be a benign first meeting of the in-law's quickly turns into a competition, as Sharon and Jill have widely differing views on life, love and marriage. As the weekend visit is coming to an end, Sharon takes matters into her own hands, rendering Jill incapable of escaping her house, and proving to her once and for all that no one comes between Sharon and her daughter.

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