Anne Archer plays a divorced woman who lives in the politically correct world where her son's father exists only as a source of child-support payments. When the father, effectively portrayed by John Heard, tries to live up to his responsibilities as a parent, she reacts with jealousy and fear instead of compromise. The parents inability to communicate with each other like adults leads to a custody hearing, with predictable results. The film tries hard to portray the mother sympathetically, but the selfishness of her actions makes it very hard to empathize with her. Although it is certainly not the message the filmmakers intended, hopefully some parents might watch this movie and realize that their children are more than just extensions of themselves.
Review of Because Mommy Works
