Serial Mom (1994) - 6/10
One of the interesting things about doing this has been coming across movies that I know have been mostly lost to time—films that hardly anyone saw on release and that are now difficult or impossible to find on streamers. In fact, even if they are on streamers, they’re probably so buried in the library that you’d only stumble across them by accident. Serial Mom definitely seems to fall into that category. It had a lukewarm critical reception at release and a pretty minuscule box office. And 30 years later, I think I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who recalls the film without prompting. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this breezy, lighthearted satire and was glad to have been able to dust it off.
1. Acting
Kathleen Turner serves as the film’s titular character and by far gets the most to do. Her wicked mix of June Cleaver and Ted Bundy carries the entire film and helps keep it on the right side of hokey. She effortlessly switches between her two personas, often with a mere relaxing of her facial muscles to sell it to the audience. Turner’s somewhat famous voice also does a lot of work, switching between an angelic head voice and her more natural husk. The whole performance feels pitch-perfect, and I especially enjoy her timing and instincts for when to camp it up and when to turn up the mischief.
The rest of the cast does well, and everyone seems to understand the tone. Having become a massive Sam Waterston fan from watching The Newsroom, his talent does feel a bit wasted—though it’s nice seeing him in a much different setting. Similarly, it was nice seeing Matthew Lillard in a very early role for him. You can see the natural charisma that would drive the rapid ascension he’d have throughout the rest of the ’90s and beyond. But of all the supporting roles, I like Mink Stole the best. On brand given her name, I think she stole a lot of the scenes she was in, and her contentious relationship with Beverly has some great bits.
2. Cinematography
The brightly lit sets and locations fit right into the tone the film is playing with. While the cinematography may not be anything special, it helps sell the ridiculousness to the audience. There also seem to be some B-movie sensibilities to the shooting style. It may just be a reflection of the era, but the somewhat cornball nature of it feels intentional.
3. Production/Costume Design
Again, everyone seems to have understood the goal when it comes to the film’s aesthetic. Everything about the tacky sets and slightly vintage garb feels on point, and the silly weapons—including a deadly lamb rack—are great.
4. Writing
I have a real soft spot for very silly satires like this. The mix of having a poignant message to deliver without taking it overly seriously keeps things fun and less preachy. As for this film, we seem mostly to be taking aim at society's backlash to increasing violence in media. While studies have been split on the long-held belief that violent media increases actual violence, the film isn’t taking aim at the research so much as at the excessive pearl-clutching and self-righteous finger-pointing it tends to elicit.
There also seems to be a less clear stance on capital punishment. The idea of the death penalty gets brought up a few different times early on but takes a back seat as things progress. If anything, Beverly herself may be the intent of the argument—that society may be a bit too quick to invoke capital punishment for instances that don’t rise to the necessary level. This may also point to the irony of tough-on-crime fanatics who, in one breath, scream for every criminal to get the chair while simultaneously crying about increasing fictional violence in movies and TV shows.
5. Sound Design
Upbeat tones from the original score and licensed tracks are fitting for the movie, though nothing stands out as too memorable. There is, however, a pretty humorous scene of one of Beverly’s kills set against “Tomorrow” from Annie, which is great.
6. Editing
This is a quick in-and-out type of movie, which is good, but nothing specific about the editing comes to mind.
7. Visual Effects
I actually feel like they could’ve amped up the practical gore a bit more, considering the aim of their satire. But perhaps they didn’t want to risk shifting the tone too much.
8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation
While the tone feels familiar—especially for the ’90s—I can say the idea here feels very original. I love the approach and the satirical message, even if the final product isn’t top tier.
9. Stunt Coordination
There are actually a few decent stunts buried in the film. In particular, the first kill, which involves a victim getting hit by a car, features a pretty crazy hit that a stunt performer took. Also, later in the film, there’s a pretty prolonged person-on-fire scene, which is always fun and risky for the stunt team to pull off.
10. Direction
I may only be partially familiar with John Waters, but learning that he was the director here makes a lot of sense. This film has a lot of the transgressive, cult-film sensibilities he became known for early in his career. There may not be a ton of visual flair to the movie, but there is plenty of spirit.
Legacy/Final Thoughts
At this point, I wouldn’t expect Serial Mom to have any sort of reemergence or increase in cult status. However, if you're looking for an off-beat hidden gem, this movie might be able to scratch that itch.
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