Bad Moms

In one sense, you feel for the protagonists in Bad Moms. And indeed, mothers of all ages might identify with their harried and overstressed compatriots and their rebellious girl-power vibe.

Yet this raunchy low-brow comedy finds it more difficult to generate genuine sympathy from other demographics unable to separate the anarchic mischief from plain-old irresponsible parenting.

Contrary to the title, Amy (Mila Kunis) is a good mom, managing to juggle responsibilities to her two young kids along with an underappreciated job at a tech startup. Then her life goes into a tailspin when her worthless husband (David Walton) reveals his preference for a woman online.

While avoiding the snooty PTA busybodies at her kids’ suburban middle school, Amy meets outspoken single mom Carla (Kathryn Hahn), who convinces her and the timid Kiki (Kristen Bell) to take a stand in impulsive defiance. “We’re killing ourselves trying to be perfect and it’s making us insane,” she bellows.

What follows is a lifestyle makeover with seriously rearranged priorities. Before long, the kids are making their own breakfast while Amy and the girls are boozing it up at the bar, cursing like sailors in public or wrecking a supermarket for the hell of it.

The film is presumably meant as a tribute to moms, and perhaps a way for them to vent their frustrations indirectly through characters whose plight is exaggerated yet relatable. However, the wish-fulfillment fantasy hits the mark only for those who buy into the mayhem involving women behaving badly.

The screenplay by the directing tandem of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (21 and Over) has its moments. While the insights about contemporary parenting aren’t exactly original, at least there’s a generous array of amusing one-liners along the way. It’s gleefully vulgar while poking fun at clichés, and the filmmakers make some hilarious observations about the laziness and entitlement of millennials.

Such momentum can’t sustain itself during a more predictable middle stretch, and the film comes up empty when it digs deeper. For example, railing against school schedules and standardized testing might be worthwhile, but it feels hollow amid all the sophomoric shenanigans on display.

The stars develop an endearing rapport, yet only sporadically does Bad Moms convince us that girls just wanna have fun.

Rated R, 101 minutes.