I really wish Albert Brooks would make another movie. He’s only directed seven feature films, but his is a style so distinct and enjoyable that it’s kind of a shame. The word that comes to mind, especially with Mother, is watchable. In his best films there is not a single moment that’s boring or perfunctory, and that is especially true of this 1996 release starring the late Debbie Reynolds. Mother bounces along at quite a clip, making true economy of each moment. Brooks makes each point without overstating or spending too much time anywhere – he wants to show that his character, John Henderson, is confused about women, so he shows one bad date. He wants to show that John is in limbo after a failed marriage, so he has a single scene in which he tries, unsuccessfully, to find a suitable place in his living room for the one piece of furniture his wife left him in the divorce. Albert Brooks is able to say so much with so little, and for Mother, it really works.

Note: Mother screens as part of Coolidge’s Family Bonds educational series and individual tickets are not available. To sign up for the Family Bonds course, visit http://store.coolidge.org/websales/pages/PackageTypeSelect.aspx?epguid=b8070f52-5c6d-43cc-b6f1-ce6428c01b34&pkginfo=283%7E2227d6a5-68f5-41c2-b22e-813c872c64f4&=