Date Night (2010 PG-13) and Moms’ Night Out (2014 PG) are two comedies with similar themes. Family members take a break from their normal routine to enjoy a night out, and instead encounter disastrous yet funny situations.
The movies are the same in other ways:
Over-the-Top Characterizations. The audience is supposed to identify with parts of these extreme characterizations and find them funny. Or, unintentionally, just get really annoyed.
Moms’ Night Out stay-at-home mom Sarah Drew is frazzled beyond reason. Pastor’s wife Patricia Heaton maintains the perfect image above all else.
Moms’ Night Out dads Kevin Downes and Sean Astin are clueless about how to care for their own children.
Date Night dad Steve Carell is more interested in the babysitter than his wife.
Date Night’s wife Tina Fey is completely oblivious to the need for romance in a marriage.
Crazy Car Chases. I suppose since these can be considered Chick-Flix, the car chases are thrown in to appeal to the men in the audience.
In Moms’ Night Out, cabbie David Hunt races moms Logan White, Patricia Heaton, Abbie Cobb, and Sarah Drew in search of a missing baby. Police cars, bikers, and minivans join in the chase.
Date Night’s couple are mistaken for gangsters, and undercover cop Common gets involved. Cars are crashed.
Bonding Over Music. Audiences like a good dance scene.
Tina Fey and Steve Carell have to do a sexy dance for the gangster boss. Yucky scene.
The moms dance at the bowling alley after biker Trace Adkins has helped them find the baby.
Funny Smaller Roles. Both movies have hilarious scenes with snobby restaurant hostesses.
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes in Moms’ Night Out.
Olivia Munn in Date Night.
The Tattoo Desk Guy (Manwell Reyes) in Moms’ Night Out is great.
Mark Wahlberg plays his private security role well.
Dumb Smaller Roles. Both movies have them.
Moral of the Story: Show Appreciation for the People in Your Life. Good advice for us all!
And the Winner is….. Moms’ Night Out! Date Night has too many icky parts played for comedy. If I wouldn’t feel comfortable watching the movie with my teenage daughters, I shouldn’t be watching it at all.
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