Theresa Is a Mother

In some respects, Theresa Is a Mother is a real home movie. C. Fraser Press, who plays the title character, wrote the film and co-directed with her husband Darren Press, while their three children are costars. The eponymous Theresa is a failed New York singer-songwriter who reaches middle age with a trio of children and no money. Returning to her rural hometown, single mother Theresa plans on temporarily living with her parents, with whom she never had the happiest of relationships. The film features the obvious reopening of old emotional wounds, and plenty of mechanical cutesiness as the chronically unemployable Theresa goes to ridiculous lengths to find a source of income. But even as Theresa's unrealistic misadventures ping-pong between farce and angst, Press herself remains a charismatic screen presence, injecting quirky warmth into her chaotic character. But the real fuel that drives this film are Edie McClurg and Richard Poe as Theresa's parents—these often underappreciated veteran actors easily steal their scenes, even when working with tinny dialogue in an uneven film. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)