SMOTHER

US, 2008, 92 minutes, Colour.
Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard, Liv Tyler, Ken Howard, Selma Stern, Mike White.
Directed by Vince di Meglio.

Audiences would need to be in a rather good mood to enjoy Smother. One of the reasons is that the central characters are rather irritating characters in their own lives and that may well carry over to their impact on the audience.

The title offers the tone. And, here is Diane Keaton, in her early 60s, in a performance that is rather the opposite of Annie Hall. She seems to be losing it, is suspicious of her husband (Ken Howard), accusing him of an affair. She moves out of her home, with her charity dogs, imposing herself on her hapless son, Noah (Dax Shepard). She has so dominated him that he lacks self-confidence, has lost his job, his loving wife Claire (Liv Tyler) wanting them to conceive, her screenwriting cousin, Myron (Mike White) turning up and imposing himself to stay with them.

Lots of clashes, lots of desperate humour, many confrontations, some absurd situations played for spoof.

Perhaps these are some of the reasons that the film was less commercially successful than expected.

1. The title, the focus on Marilyn as mother, smothering? The response of Noah as her son, being smothered?

2. The tone, broad comedy, spoof and satire?

3. The duration of four days, the range of episodes, change?

4. Noah, in himself, his work at the health spa, the manner of his being fired over the phone, the idea of setting out by himself, issues of money, needing to get a new job, the interview with his former boss and his being hired? His relationship with Clare, love, the plan for conceiving? Myron and his arriving in the house, his story? Marilyn and her arrival, his relationship with his mother? With his father? His mother walking out on his father, staying?

5. Diane Keaton as Marilyn, the opposite of Annie Hall, the long marriage, the voice-over and her dithering, on the phone, forgetting? The arguments with her husband? The dogs in the house? Her arrival, moving in with the dogs, her luggage? Accusing her husband of an affair? The dislike of her mother-in-law? Imposing on her son, her ditzy behaviour, taking over, Clare’s kind response? The friendship with Myron, the discussions about his science fiction screenplay and Vietnam? The sharing ideas? Food and meals, fads? Getting up during the night, phobias? The getting the job, enjoying it? The boss and his reaction, wanting to fire her, getting Noah to do it? The confronting her husband, the truth about his one night stand, twice? Taking Noah’s car, the surveillance and recording? Her reaction after her being fired, going to the motel, the karaoke bar behaviour? Coming home again? Taking Clare’s car?

6. Noah, his job, the carpets, the rules, the video training, his being fired?

7. Going to the bank, not getting a loan, asking his father, his father’s refusal, his grandmothers?

8. Clare, teaching the kids, telling stories, love for her husband, for conceiving, the special time, the attempts, the truth zone, Noah and his range of excuses? Her walking out, staying with her friend?

9. Myron, his character, writing the screenplay, coming to the writing conference, his changing times, moving in, the ideas for the screenplay, using the computer and the voiced responses, Marilyn and her contributions?

10. Noah, discovering more about his past, his mother drowning the pet rat, discrepancy with his age, the growing exasperation, with Clare, avoiding conception, the tight underpants, the boiling water? His saying that he was not ready to be a father, looking at his mother and father and their failure?

11. The mother-in-law, dying at the news about her son’s behaviour? The funeral, the range of speeches, Marilyn and Noah and their tributes but arguing with each other, a kind of vocal therapy?

12. The reconciliation, Marilyn leaving and going out on her own, but sharing a house with Myron and his ideas?

13. Noah and Clare, the frank talk, wanting to have a child?

14. The film as a comedy – and the difficulty of having irritating characters, the danger of the film being irritating?