A young filmmaker, despite the constant interruptions of his overbearing mother, manages to finish writing a brilliant screenplay and looks to pitch it to a Hollywood agent. But, the writer, who remains nameless throughout the movie, soon finds he can’t get this opportunity. He can’t even get past the agent’s assistant. The problem, as the assistant explains, lies not with the script but with the writer. What’s missing is the writer’s hook, or something that separates him from the pack. The assistant expounds that every successful filmmaker has a partner and together they are more interesting, at least in the eyes of an agent, than either of them alone. After all, would Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have made it if they weren’t schoolyard best friends? Lacking a compelling hook of this nature, our writer will blow his one chance with the agent. And so our young filmmaker, frustrated but undaunted, goes off to find his partner. Finally it occurs to him- his hook is his mother.
Writers are often advised to write about what they know. Though good advice, the great exception to this rule lies in writing about writing. It works at times, but in general, this subject tends to be too industry specific and alienates audiences. Nevertheless, “Everybody and Their Mother…” manages to be engaging. Credit here goes to the writing. It’s not a perfect story. It overstates its case in times. Take, for example, the Hollywood partnership of an Hasidic Jew and a Muslim. Still, it proves quite charming and not nearly as predictable as it may sound.
Even so, this movie would not come together without Kevin Rahm’s performance as the agent’s assistant. Early cues tell you this film is meant to be a ridiculous farce. Accordingly, you expect the stereotypical slimy Hollywood assistant- which is exactly what you get. Yet somehow Rahm conceals a measure of depth or motivation of this character until the movie’s conclusion.
Aided by solid production values, “Everybody And Their Mother Wants To Write And Direct” navigates around a taboo subject in creating this enjoyable mockery of Hollywood.
