Rhode Island International Film Festival 2009

This feature length documentary tells the story of a group of women who leave their crucial roles at home to vie for the title of Mother of the Year. From a struggling Midwestern farmer's wife with five children, to a wealthy East Coast mother with a secret she fears could disqualify her from the competition, the film delves into the intense lives of an ambitious group of mothers.The organization American Mothers Inc. began crowning a national "Mother of the Year" in 1935. Over the years, the group has maintained a very traditional determination of what it means to be a good mother and selects women who, for the most part, have decided to stay home with their children. Some of these modern mothers are deeply torn about their place in the world and how to measure up to the expectations of the judges. While the film plays to the absurdity of judging motherhood and the humorous episodes that ensue, it does not tread lightly on the real issues these women face and the pressures they feel to live up to an ideal of motherhood that cannot possibly exist. Motherhood is clearly undervalued in this culture, but is this the way to value it? The film will mix verite footage of the contest with archive, photographs and in-depth interviews to paint a picture picture the undervalued, over-stressed culture of motherhood in America today and a competition that reflects that perfectly.