174. Yes Day; movie review

 

 

YES DAY

Cert PG

87 mins

BBFC advice: Contains rude humour, threat, dangerous behaviour, innuendo, violence

Every mum and dad knows there is a fine line between being a responsible parent and losing any sense of the fun we once possessed when we were young.

But having a Yes Day is surely a concept reserved for movie comedies, isn't it?

Apparently, not - because Jennifer Garner has them with her own children! This in itself poses so many questions about divorces, Hollywood nannies and more but let's just call her mum of the year.

Meanwhile, the rest of us don't have mansions bottomless financial pits or even the time in which we can have a day during which our offspring can do what the hell they like.

Anyway, in Miguel Arteta's movie, Garner's character, Allison, is a funless, control-freak who believes that a mother should only say no.

Meanwhile, she resents that her husband (Edgar Ramirez) is seen by their three children good cop by comparison.

Push comes to shove when they are called to school to be shown a video made by their son, highlighting his mum as an evil witch.

She is distraught but the seed of a way-out is sewn by another teacher who suggests that they have a Yes Day to bring fun back into the family.

So, the day comes when her kids (Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner and Everly Carganilla) are in charge and have a schedule of craziness to which only the most liberal of parents would agree.

What follows is predictable with a capital P.

Yes Day is not only unfunny but it is actually irritating, bordering on annoying.

Good parents can combine having a good time with drawing behavioural lines in the sand. They don't have to create artificial fun days because they are already part of the calendar.

They don't constantly say no because their children have been nurtured to understand the difference between right and wrong.

They instinctively know when a teenager is responsible enough to go to events such as pop concerts with friends.

They don't need 'Yes' days and the world didn't need this movie. 

Reasons to watch: If you are into puerile humour

Reasons to avoid: Desperately unfunny

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 3/10

Did you know? The Yes Day concept first appeared in the 2009 children's book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld but became a popular topic in parenting media after actress Jennifer Garner Instagrammed about her family's annual tradition in 2017. Garner and Ben Affleck divorced in October 2018.

The final word. Miguel Arteta: "She (Jennifer Garner) was fantastic. She really worked hard as a producer; she was involved with every outline. She came and pitched the project to Netflix with us and was involved from pre-production to the last cut of the film. " Observer

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