Top 10 Direct-to-DVD Premieres: June 2008
By Robert Sims, Special to Hollywood.com
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
4. Mama's Boy (2 ½ stars)
Cast: Jon Heder, Diane Keaton, Jeff Daniels and Anna Faris
The Verdict: What would happen if Napoleon Dynamite decided not to leave home? The answer can be found in this unexpectedly enjoyable farce that finds the typically geeky 29-year-old Jon Heder still sponging off his mother. Then Diane Keaton falls for positivity guru Daniels, resulting in the inevitable Meet the Parents-style battle of wits between son and lover. Mama's Boy is better than it sounds because Heder and Daniels make hilarious adversaries. They really knock each other senseless in order to capture Keaton’s heart and mind. The loopy Faris adds to the nonsense as a protester singer whose anthems include “Bed, Bath and Bullshit.” As entertaining as Mama's Boy is, though, it proves without doubt that Keaton’s stuck in a rut playing overbearing mothers and Jon Heder’s nerdy act has grown old very fast.
DVD Features: Commentary by director Tim Hamilton; additional scenes.