Interview (Video): Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (“Bad Moms”)

The Movie Times interview with Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, writer-directors of the new comedy Bad Moms starring Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, and Kristen Bell.

Bad Moms may seem like another bawdy comedy — “When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence” — but in this interview, Lucas and Moore raise several points about the story which have relevance to screenwriting in general.

* The genesis of the story comes from the real-life experiences of the writers — their wives as mothers and the pressure they feel to be a ‘good’ mom. Takeaway: Look to your own life for story inspiration.

* “The fun of the movie is you get to go for two hours and experience things vicariously you don’t get to do in your regular life.” Takeaway: Wish fulfillment, create story circumstances in which the script reader can identify with lead characters and live through them.

* “Movies we love always do this, they take you on this journey you can’t do… and they put you in this world in which you can’t have it… The fun of the movie is living that out, then returning to a safer, happier place.” Takeaway: That’s the Hero’s Journey… or in this case, the Heroine’s Journey. No matter how big or small the plot, the Protagonist experiences a new environment and as a result goes through a transformation process.

A trailer for the movie:

The movie’s website here.

The Movie Times YouTube channel here.