Being a Mother is hard work. Stereotypically, you have to deal with all the food work, and preparing your young kids, who might not be grateful, let alone appreciative of all the small sacrifices that you have made for them for their future. Yet deep down in your heart, you know they do care, at least you hope that they do. In 2016, following the successful anthology-based look at New Year’s and Valentine’s, Marshall turned his attention to the somewhat omitted holiday of Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is a film that the trials and tribulations of Mothers around the Atlanta area. Such as Sandy, who may not be over the divorce with Henry, even though he married someone younger Tina, and Miranda, a successful author who had to deal with her daughter, coming back into her life. Meanwhile, Bradley is dealing with being a recently widowed father of two kids and is uneasily trying to get back into the dating scene. These are just some stories about Mums, and the children that love them, that occur on one fateful Mother’s Day.

Following on the line of films made by Marshall, which have names that more than just evoke popular holidays. Mother’s Day is a star-studded ensemble featuring familiar headliners of mid-2010 comedy or romance films. From We’re The Millers, stars Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis still keep up the charm that made that film a hit. Julia Roberts as Miranda, whose life is thrown askew when her daughter shows up in her life. Even Jack Whitehall, on his quest to win over the hearts of America, much like James Corden did. It is an ensemble with a capital E, as most of these stars have proven themselves in similar rom-coms or pure comedies.

Mother’s Day is awash with crowd-pleasing emotions. From snappy comedy from kids wiser beyond their years with clever lines, the adult cast is no slouch. This goes without saying when you’ve got former Saturday Night Live stars and Sitcom greats on your cast list. The film carries on the emotional gamut to the down-right touching moments of Bradley at the grave of his wife, noticing the massive hole that her death not only left on his life but on his kids. He’s going to have to fill it one day at a time. Whether making you laugh, cry, or think, Mother’s Day has more to offer than a bouquet and a box of chocolates.

If you’ve seen the other insert-holiday-here films that end with the word day, then you’ll have a good understanding of the events that transpire on Mother’s Day. You’ll also have a pretty rock-solid understanding of how much you’ll enjoy this film if you have seen any of those previous ones. If you want something that ties into the themes of the holiday, that isn’t a blood-curdling horror film. Or if you want to see more of the Anniston/Seudikis relationship, then now is just as good a time to check out the whole host of others. They are hustling and bustling, trying to be the best parents they can be. After all, Mother’s Day only comes once a year, unless you celebrate on both sides of the Atlantic.

If you want more positive reviews delivered to the e-mail box of your choice, you can click on that little text bubble at the bottom of the screen. Do you agree or disagree? or have a suggestion for another pop-culture artefact that needs a positive light shone on it? Leave a comment in the comment box below! But remember to keep it positive!