2018 Nominee Watch – May 11th

We are coming into Mother's Day weekend (did you get something for YOUR mother?) and there are two very different "mother" related films being offered up to audiences.

Breaking In, starring Gabrielle Union, is a thriller where that claims "Payback is a mother," while Melissa McCarthy brings us a mom going back to college with her daughter in Life of the Party.

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Breaking In​
This looks like it promises to be 88 minutes of intense action and edge of your seat thrills when Union's character returns to the sprawling home of her deceased father to deal with the estate. Upon arrival, they find a veritable fortress and wonder what he was hiding behind all the security. The thrills kick in when the two children are kidnapped inside the house and Union has to break back in to save them.

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While this promises thrills, it does not appear to offer much in the way of Oscar potential. Cinemablend predicts a relatively low Rotten Tomatoes rating for this film and while I don't see it being quite as low as they anticipate, I doubt it will rival last month's A Quiet Place for general audience appeal.

Life of the Party​
Let me start off by saying I have never been a huge fan of Melissa McCarthy. Her performances are generally too over-the-top for me and I don't find her funny most of the time. That being said, this film might have a little potential in terms of laughs.

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The film looks to deliver an interesting twist on the mother/daughter bonding story when McCarthy's character goes through a divorce, by all accounts a fairly nasty one if the armchair bonfire in the trailer is any indication. She never finished her college degree and decides to return to school with her daughter and of course, hilarity ensues.

Despite my willingness to give McCarthy another shot with this film, it's not winning any Oscars or even getting a nomination.