As you can probably ascertain from my name, I'm not a mom.
Even so, I still wanted to watch 2025's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which Time Magazine once called “Uncut Gems for Moms.” Well, since Uncut Gems is one of my favorite movies (mostly because of its amazing Adam Sandler performance), I definitely wanted to check it out, and whoa, baby. What a movie!
Now, even though I'm not a mom, I am a dad, and can I just say that I connected with this movie way more than I thought I would? Here's why.
Even As A Dad, I Worry About Being Perceived As A Bad Parent
Just recently, I wrote about how I'm upset that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is rated R, and it’s mostly because I wanted to take my kids to see it. Now, back when I was a kid, my dad took me to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day when I was only 8, and that’s because parents back then didn't seem to care about taking their kids to see R-Rated flicks. But today, the main reason why I won't take my kids to see The Odyssey isn't because of the mature content (though that's definitely a part of it). It’s mostly because I don't want to be seen as a bad parent taking my kids to see R-rated films.
I'm always thinking about stuff like this (especially as a Black dad, since we're often already perceived to be bad parents from the get-go). Well, Rose Byrne in this movie is constantly feeling like the “bad mom,” and it drags her down. Her daughter has a gastrointestinal illness and needs a tube in her stomach, and Byrne's character constantly feels guilty from all the judgment she receives from others, which is SUPER relatable to me.
So, even though this movie is referred to as “Uncut Gems for Moms,” I definitely felt that tension, too, and I'm not even a mother!
There's Also Always The Fear That Anything Could Just Go Wrong At Any Moment
If you search up what genre this movie is in, you'll likely find it under “psychological drama.” I've also heard people refer to it as a “horror” movie (“realistic horror,” but still!). And, you know what, I agree, because this movie IS scary, though not in the traditional sense.
It mainly tackles motherhood and mental health, and in brutally realistic ways. For example, there's one woman who is undoubtedly suffering from postpartum depression, and she’s constantly worried about her baby. Now, while I have no way of knowing what a woman goes through following childbirth, I will say that as a parent, I have a constant, overwhelming sense of dread that something could happen to my children at any time, and this has been going on since their births.
The same could be said of Rose Byrne's character. She’s both constantly worried about her child, but also in constant need of a break, as she feels alone in taking care of her kid, which I'll talk about next.
Lastly, I Definitely Understand The Feeling Tired All The Time Part
My wife is a nurse, so there will be times when she works four days in a row. This, of course, means that I have the kids for four whole days at a time during these summer months, and anybody with kids will tell you that being a parent is a full-time job in itself.
Thankfully, my in-laws are always available if I need to take a gym break, but I know what it's like to be tired all the time, and Rose Byrne deserved that Best Actress nomination for playing a mom who is literally tired for an entire movie.
And, sister, same. As a parent, I FEEL that to my very core. I may be a dad, but I know what it's like to feel exhausted from morning til night, and that's why even though I might not be a mom, this movie speaks to me on every level.
