MILA: I’M NOT A PERFECT MUM
IT’S ALL about motherhood and less about Hollywood right now for Mila Kunis – in fact, it’s a wonder she’s back on the big screen at all.
The 34-year-old actress says it takes something special to prise her away from her happy home life with film star husband Ashton Kutcher and their two children – and that’s exactly why we should go and see A Bad Moms Christmas.
Not only did Mila deem the comedy caper worthy enough to take her away from her two-year-old daughter Wyatt and baby son Dimitri, but this is the first time the actress has wanted to make a sequel to one of her movies.
A Bad Moms Christmas sees Mila back as stressed-out parent Amy Mitchell, with Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn returning as her fellow malfunctioning mothers.
And thrown in for the ride are the parents to the parents – Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski and Cheryl Hines.
For Mila, being a Bad Mom is just the kind of therapy she needs from being a typically anxious and devoted one in real life.
The actress didn’t need much persuasion to do the muchanticipated sequel.
Mila said: “I was always excited to do another one. If I wasn’t excited, I wouldn’t do it because for me to leave my family and not be a stay-at-home mom for my kids takes a lot.
“But it was worth it because I’m so proud of this movie and everything it stands for.
“The three of us – Kristen, Kathryn and myself – are back and not only are we moms, but we have the moms’ moms in the movie, too, who are all played by the funniest, most amazing actresses.
“It’s bigger, badder and crazier, basically. It’s Christmas and that’s like the Superbowl of all things for moms.”
Many of the movie’s gags are based on actual disasters, mishaps and situations Mila and her co-stars have endured on the average school run, trips to the park or just trying to have a cosy family Christmas.
She said: “The writers were very open to input from all of us. That’s something we did in the first one and we got to do even more this
Mila Kunis is returning to the big screen as madcap Amy Mitchell. Her character’s antics put the crackers in Christmas – but the star won’t be trying them at home Motherhood is something you can poke humour at and make light of
time. We’d get together and share stories that had happened to us and some of them made it into the script.
“My friends have always been very open with their horrible days. I think we all have. I don’t think Bad Moms necessarily prompted my friends to be like, ‘Oh wait, me too’. Mostly, they’re like, ‘Holy sh**, let me tell you what happened today...’ It’s an everyday occurrence for me.”
But the trials of motherhood don’t mean that Mila isn’t enjoying it.
She said: “Motherhood is great. It’s fantastic. We waited until we were in the right headspace in our lives to have children and that makes a huge difference.”
The transition from one to two children has been helped by Wyatt adjusting perfectly to the new family dynamic.
Mila said: “She loves it. They have a two-year age difference, which is just enough for her to know exactly what was happening, while at the same time she doesn’t remember being an only child.
“She doesn’t ever remember being without her little brother, which is awesome. She loves her little brother. She doesn’t get jealous or anything like that. We’re very lucky.”
Like many parents of young kids, time with your partner is at a premium and Mila admits that date nights are few and far between. She said: “The morning after a date night, you wake up and have to be a parent. Sometimes, we go out but we’re home by 10.30pm. Three drinks and I’m done. I’m a cheap date.”
She is lucky to have good support from Ashton and her parents, who live in the same town and are on hand to help out.
In the film, Baranski plays her mum alongside Sarandon and Hines as the other new members of the cast.
Mila said: “It was great. We got very lucky with all our moms.”
She’s hoping the sequel proves as popular as the first movie, which was a huge hit and banked more than £135million at the box office.
Mila reckons she knows why it was so well-received.
She said: “People like to know they’re not alone. Motherhood or being a parent is something you can poke humour at and make light of. Back when
my parents were raising my brother and I, everything had to look perfect, whether it was or wasn’t. You just didn’t air your dirty laundry, so to speak.
“Nowadays, if it’s going wrong, I call my best friend and I’m like, ‘I don’t know, there is this colour coming out of her nose. I’m pretty sure she’s dying.’ It’s OK to do that now, but I don’t think it necessarily was OK before. I think this movie brings light to that.”
Mila said Christmas wasn’t a huge deal for her family when she was growing up. But she reckons now there are grandchildren in the mix, her parents have changed their tune completely.
She said: “My family are Jewish so we celebrate Hanukkah, but now with my husband’s family, we get to celebrate Christmas, too. We have a kind of half-and-half holiday.
“It’s funny because, as a kid, my parents would maybe get me one gift. Now that they have grandkids, it’s like Toys R Us have blown up in my house. It’s crazy how different grandparents are compared to when they were parents.
“It’s fine, but it’s just Christmas. People have this thing about how everything has to be perfect. But what it’s supposed to be about is celebrating the birth of Christ, not presents. I find that funny.”
She hopes Bad Moms Christmas will become a favourite holiday movie for years to come – although maybe not for the kids.
Mila said: “That would be great although in this one, there’s a penis or two. Maybe some balls.”
Perhaps one day there will be a Bad Dads film that Ashton could star in? She said: “Maybe. That would be an interesting offshoot.” ● A Bad Moms Christmas is in cinemas on November 3.