An interview with Kevin Downes, producer of ‘Mom’s Night Out’

KL: So, why a movie about moms?

Kevin: My last big film was Courageous (as an actor, not a producer), which centered around fatherhood. We really wanted to do a counterpart that would celebrate motherhood. Andrea Nasfell and Jon Erwin, who wrote the script, are both parents and spoke from experience. They’ve been there. Many of the things that happened in the story came from their real life experiences as parents. The making of the movie was a collaborative effort with the cast, too. Because it was a comedy, it wasn’t as scripted, so we were able to change more of it in process and the actors brought a lot of their own experiences to the film as well.

KL: Mom’s Night Out isn’t as evangelistic as some Christian films. Why did you decide to do a film like this?

Kevin: I’ve been involved in a lot of different Christian films, some of which were more overtly Christian than Mom’s Night Out. There is no tried-and-true formula for making a Christian film. A good film, whether it’s classified Christian or not, can be effective and life-changing simply because it’s such a powerful medium. You just make what you are passionate about in your heart, with a worldview that is through your lens. Seeing people respond to that is really incredible.

For this movie, we wanted a theme that affirmed moms and lifted them up for the journey they go through. A film that would tell moms, “You are enough.” But we (the Erwin brothers and I) wanted to make a laugh-out-loud comedy first and foremost. Comedy is so hard to do. And yet, within a comedy, the poignant and touching and teaching moments can be even more powerful than in a drama because they kind of catch you off guard.

Mom’s Night Out is the kind of movie that might not seem evangelistic but can really spark conversation. It’s very different from a lot of Christian film out there. People can invite their non-Christian friends and neighbors and they will enjoy the movie because it’s just funny and it’s a great story. And they will hear the message of God’s love and their own worth in His eyes in the process.

KL: That’s one of the things that I thought was so great about the movie. I was laughing hysterically and then – bam – I was hit with some really deep, personal truths. In a totally unique and natural way.

Kevin: Yes. That scene. [I took out his description of the scene so as not to spoil the movie for you!] That’s one of the things that’s unique and beautiful about this movie. You hear God’s Word from the most unlikely of sources in the most unlikely of places. And it rings true.

KL: The main character’s husband, Sean… Some women might think he’s a tad unrealistic. He’s so supportive and sweet and kind to his wife.

Kevin: (interrupting) Actually, no. He’s totally real! He’s modeled after Andrea Nasfell’s (the writer) husband. She wanted to write a character that was really like him. We see so much of this stereotypical father who’s made fun of in movies, but Andrea says her husband is her rock. She wanted to write a man like him – a solid man who encourages his wife, is there with her in parenting their children, and loves to be a father. It’s a man we need to see in film and television.

KL: Tell me a little bit about your mom and the mom of your kids, your wife.

Kevin: My wife and I have been together for 17 years. We couldn’t have children for nine years. We adopted a sweet, wonderful boy from Haiti, and then amazingly got pregnant and had two more little boys. God has blessed us with three awesome little guys, and they are so much fun. She is amazing, all that she does with them and for them.

My mom … my parents, growing up, gave us so much. They sacrificed so much for us. I’ll never even know how much. I owe them so much for that.

KL: What would you like to tell dads about Mom’s Night Out?

Kevin: It’s not just a movie for women. Men need to go see it, too! So take your wife out to see it for her second time. But for her first time, offer to watch the kids for her so she can go out with her girlfriends to see it. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it later! Seriously, though, it’s a great film for women to go out with their friends and laugh and love and just have a great time together.

Mom’s Night Out, starring Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins, opens in theaters on Mother’s Day Weekend (May 9). Grab a group of your mommy friends, leave the men home with the kids, and go have a great Mom’s Night Out!

Read The Layman Online for a review of Mom’s Night Out.

Kathy Larson is the director of Christian Education and Creative Arts at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C.