Dating My Mother is a film about the relationship between a mother and her twenty-something gay son.
Kathryn Erbe plays Joan, a single mother whose adult son, Danny (Patrick Reilly) has moved back home after trying to make it in Los Angeles as a writer. The film opens with Danny lounging around while Joan does everything. And for some reason, Joan is okay with it.
Later, while at a party together, Danny gets wasted and makes a fool of himself, which causes Joan some embarrassment. From there it becomes clear that Danny has a bit of substance abuse problem, which the film never quite addresses. It’s also obvious that Danny isn’t going to write anything and isn’t about to find a job any time soon.
When Joan mentions wanting to start dating, Danny isn’t receptive to the idea. Luckily Joan’s best friend Lisa (Kathy Najimy) is there to help guide her through online profiles and possible beaus.
While Joan begins dating, Danny starts to grow close to an old high school friend, Khris (Michael Hsu Rosen), who is straight and gets him high. Soon Danny is acting like a fool in front of Joan and her new boyfriend, Chester (James Le Gros). And as Joan and Chester get serious, Danny’s substance abuse becomes worse.
Danny spends a good amount of the movie lusting after Khris and searching profiles on hookup apps. The profiles he looks at appear as if the person is standing in front of him, which shows Danny’s disorientation from reality. And when he’s partying with a group of straight men that he thought were losers in high school and now have decent jobs, things get out of control. It’s a bit too obvious that he’s doing nothing with his life, and his self-destructive side comes out even more.
Although Dating My Mother is passively enjoyable, it’s never engrossing. It lacks the punch and emotion that a good drama needs to be successful. When the film tries for tension, it often feels forced or fabricated. The story of a young adult unable to accept the feeling that his life is going nowhere is worthy, but the film Other People does it better. If the director (Mike Roma) went all in on the central theme, this would have been an interesting movie. Instead, he gives us a movie that’s watchable, but a bit dull.
