Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes

Martin (Snapped) delivers a genuine if sometimes tedious story of female friendship and a child custody battle. Black single mom Lauren Turner and her five-year-old daughter, Adelaide, move in with Lauren’s white best friend, feisty influencer Jude Andrews. Lauren tried and failed for years to get Adelaide’s father, Ben, to show an interest in their child, and is shocked when Ben serves her with papers demanding full custody. Though she’s a doting, loving mom, it becomes clear that Ben will be cutthroat in his pursuit. In order to establish proof of Lauren’s stellar parenting skills, she and Jude partner up on a new parenting podcast that becomes a hit. Off the show, both women contend with their difficult mothers: Lauren’s mom is judgmental and withering, while Jude’s reality TV star mom is a narcissist. Jude, meanwhile, has trouble opening up to Lauren and drinks too much, which becomes a problem for Lauren’s custody issues and for the podcast. While there are a few too many cutesy scenes dedicated to Adelaide and her precocious speech, Martin successfully conveys the work required to become an influencer, and deserves praise for smoothly dealing with issues of race, privilege, and alcohol abuse. Overall, Martin offers a fresh perspective on platonic love. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Sept.)