Trading Mom
Trading Mom (also known as The Mommy Market) is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film written and directed by Tia Brelis, based on her mother Nancy Brelis' homonymous book. It stars Sissy Spacek, Anna Chlumsky, Aaron Michael Metchik, Maureen Stapleton, and André the Giant in his final film appearance.
| Trading Mom | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Tia Brelis |
| Produced by | Raffaella De Laurentiis |
| Screenplay by | Tia Brelis |
| Based on | The Mommy Market by Nancy Brelis |
| Starring | |
| Music by | David Kitay |
| Cinematography | Buzz Feitshans IV |
| Edited by | Isaac Seyahek |
Production company | First Look International |
| Distributed by | Trimark Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $319,123[1] |
As of May 2020, the film has not had a DVD or Blu-ray release in the United States. The film grossed $319,123 at the box office and received mostly negative reviews from critics. However, the film has developed a cult following over the years, due to being a rarity item.
Plot
Elizabeth, Jeremy, and Harry Martin are three children who have had it with their nagging mother: a widowed strict workaholic. The children go to Mrs. Cavour, a mysterious elderly woman who tells them of an ancient spell which will make their mother disappear, along with all their memories of her, but warns them that erasing someone is very dangerous. She also tells them of a place in town called the Mommy Market, where any breed of mother imaginable can be found. Their policy is that every customer receives three tokens. If said customer does not find a suitable mother before running out of tokens, that customer can never return. After the Martin children select three unlikable mothers, Mrs. Cavour explains that the spell can be broken only if they "collectively" recall a memory about their mother.
Cast
- Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Martin/Mama, the snappy French woman/Mom, the nature-hiker/Natasha, the circus performer
- Aaron Michael Metchik as Jeremy Martin
- Anna Chlumsky as Elizabeth Martin
- Asher Metchik (Aaron's real-life brother) as Harry Martin
- Maureen Stapleton as Mrs. Cavour
- André the Giant as the Circus Strongman
- Merritt Yohnka as Terrance Leeby, the school principal
- Sean MacLaughlin as Edward, the Mommy Market's manager
- Schuyler Fisk (Sissy's real-life daughter) as Suzy
- Anne Shannon Baxter as Lily
- Andrew Largen as Ricky Turner, the class bully
- Nancy Chlumsky (Anna's real-life mother) as Dr. Richardson, the social worker
- Ariana Metchik (Aaron and Asher's real-life sister) as the Girl Scout
- Igor De Laurentiis (producer Rafaella's real-life nephew) as the boy in the black jacket
Reception
The film received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 38% based on reviews from 8 critics.[2] It was mentioned in Siskel and Ebert's "Worst of 1994" episode. Siskel personally chose it.
In his TV, Movie & Video Guide, film historian Leonard Maltin gave the film one-and-a-half (out of a possible four) stars. "This should have been a whimsical fantasy/morality lesson; instead, it's flat and lifeless, with poor production values. Although Spacek has a field day in four wildly different variations on a single role, the humiliation scenes will make you wince. There's always something wrong with a picture that sits unreleased for two years, as this one did."