Writer/Director: Mary Bronstein
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien and Christian Slater
‘A Mesmerizing Drama’
Mothers are strong figures that ensure children’s bright futures. Far from ordinary people, mothers ensure that the lives of children are successful. From a personal point-of-view, I’ve seen the hardships mothers go through. At an early age, I formed relationships with a mother carrying baggage. A passionate parent without a doubt, my mom sought to care for my family when it was turned inside out. She would face obstacles building my family a quiet place. Anything but a little woman, my mother took care of my family with dedication. Despite her commitment, however, my mother was far from a perfect parent. If there were faults in personality, my mom suffered from anxiety. Prone to severe panic attacks, my mother was rarely ever able to relax. A woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, anxiety turned her life upside down. Her anxiety became evident during an abduction incident. During trips to a Pakistani grocery store, she lost her son causing anxiety to soar. Facing any parent’s worst nightmare, she questioned why her son had to disappear. In a country where children were treated as weapons of mass destruction, my mother faced a stressful situation. Her son’s disappearance threw everything in my mother’s life everywhere all at once. A frightening incident, it tested her ability to be an effective parent. Witnessing my brother held in the arms of a stranger caused my mother to shudder. Thankfully, the stranger returned my brother issuing an apology. Following the incident, she became a protective parent. Refusing to leave me home alone for a second, she proved a paranoid parent. Even when her health declined, I treasure a mother with a beautiful mind. Years later, I treasure a mother fighting one battle after another to secure my future.
Few films I have seen have captured hardships mothers go through as powerfully as “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”. Released in 2025, Mary Bronstein’s Oscar-nominated film captured motherhood. Boasting bold visuals, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s a mesmerizing drama. At the centre of it is a terrific performance by Rose Byrne, as an anxious mother. Although “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is a mesmerizing drama, it isn’t flawless. It suffers from uneven pacing. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment for fans of dramas.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” follows an anxious mother struggling to make her dreams come true. Rose Byrne embodies Linda, an anxiety-ridden mother that experiences a dilemma. Experiencing pressure, Linda struggles to care for a terminally ill daughter whose life is in danger. Despite receiving strong assistance from her compassionate therapist (Conan O’Brien), Linda struggles to be a commendable parent. As her life experiences one nightmare after another, Linda questions whether it’s possible to be a successful mother.
Mary Bronstein is fascinated with anxiety. Her directorial debut “Yeast” captured anxious friends whose problems are seldom ceased. With “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”, however, Bronstein made her first motherhood drama. It’s the filmmaker’s first attempt capturing struggles of mothers with severe anxiety but she succeeds tremendously. Evoking Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People”, Bronstein uses close-ups to capture mothers facing situations that are stressful. For instance, close-ups elevates the ceiling discovery scene. During this unforgettable scene, Linda faces severe anxiety when she discovers a broken ceiling in her home causing tension. It brought back harrowing memories of a mother that suffered from severe anxiety. Close-ups are a tricky technique. As Pedro Almodovar’s “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” suggested, close-ups elevate foreign-language Spanish movies. Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” suggested close-ups elevate frightening horror movies. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through breathtaking visuals, Bronstein captures hardships that anxiety-ridden mothers are experiencing.
Another admirable aspect of “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is production. Commemorating Kelsey Mann’s “Inside Out 2”, Bronstein uses diegetic sounds to capture hardships anxiety-ridden mothers go through. Whether it’s the sounds of babies whining or doors slamming, Bronstein effectively uses diegetic sounds to capture tensions anxious mothers are facing. For instance, diegetic sounds elevate the door lock scene. During this nerve-wracking scene, Linda experiences tension when she’s locked out of her home unable to meet her daughter. It reminded me of my mother’s frightening attack when she believed my brother had been abducted in crowded grocery stores leaving her devastated. Moreover, the music is magnificent. It gives the movie nerve-wracking atmosphere capturing burden anxious mothers bear. Through phenomenal production, Bronstein creates a commendable portrait of anxiety-ridden mothers experiencing tension.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is a movie about motherhood that’s engaging. In Hollywood, most movies rarely address the stressful nature of motherhood. For instance, Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” depicted mothers as compassionate figures getting along with children without any tension. Thankfully, however, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” avoids these pitfalls. Emulating John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”, Bronstein uses silence to capture obstacles that anxious mothers face. For instance, silence elevates the reunion scene. During this emotional scene, Linda is relieved when she’s finally reunited with her daughter following separation. It reminded me of my mother’s feelings of relief when she reunited with her son after hours of being separated. Silence is a tricky technique to use. As Chris Columbus’ “Home Alone”” suggested, silence elevates classic Christmas m ovies. Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” suggested silence elevates political movies. Nevertheless, it works in this movie. Through a spectacular screenplay, Bronstein captures mothers facing a price to pay.
One appreciates astonishing performances.
Rose Byrne delivers one of her best performances as Linda. Byrne earned appreciation playing bridesmaids in classic comedies. With “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”, however, she took on her most complex role. It isn’t easy to embody a mother that suffers from severe anxiety but Byrne succeeds tremendously. Evoking Michelle Yeoh in the Daniels’ “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, Byrne captures tensions an anxious mother has to experience. With riveting expressions, she captures angst, grief and resentments of an anxious mother with mental health problems. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the finest actresses working today.
While the movie is mainly a stunning showcase for Rose Byrne, the supporting cast is also excellent and worthy of appreciation. Conan O’Brien is captivating, capturing the compassion of a therapist seeking to assist an anxious woman. ASAP Rocky is remarkable, capturing the exuberant personality of a drug addict that faces adversity. Lastly, Christian Slater merits appreciation. As Linda’s estranged husband, he is excellent.
Despite it’s extraordinary performances, however, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” can’t capture the hardships mothers go through. Bronstein’s decision to integrate subplots about hallucinations into the movie is commendable but hinders the pacing. Due to this faulty decision, scenes capturing Linda’s hallucinations aren’t as engaging as her motherhood journey. Whereas this subplot elevated Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind”, it clashes with the realistic tone of this movie. Moreover, the film lacks a compelling ending. It’s an ambiguous conclusion without resolution. At worst, it perpetuates stereotypes about motherhood that aren’t true to reality. Therefore, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is one of those films about motherhood which not everyone would adore.
Nevertheless, fans of serious dramas will definitely appreciate “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” and so would movie-goers seeking meaningful entertainment. A powerful parenting drama, it proves that Cinema is powerful art honouring mothers in the modern era.
A magnificent portrait of motherhood, it’s a marvellous reminder that stories of moms experiencing mental health issues that are misunderstood are absolutely worth telling in memorable movies which are treasured in Hollywood.
As powerful as Linda’s bonds with her daughter, it has motivated me to recover several years after seeing anxious my mother crack under pressure in stressful situations celebrating a caregiver whose desire to protect family from danger I’ll forever treasure.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 