Life of the Party

THE GIST: Unceremoniously dumped by her husband for a younger woman, Deanna decides to go back to college to finally get the degree she had to abandon when she married. Her daughter, now a senior, is not crazy about the idea of her mom joining her school, but understands that she needs it. Deanna, after some initial uncertainty, dives headfirst in the college experience, embracing her newfound freedom, the crazy parties, and … the boys!

Life of the Party is not one of the best comedies ever made, but that's not the goal here. The goal is to tell the story of this woman and put a smile on the viewer's face. As such, I'd say goal accomplished!

The film rests entirely on the wonderful Melissa McCarthy, who delivers a solid performance and clearly has a great time doing so.

Matt Walsh, Molly Gordon, Jacki Weaver, Stephen Root, and Maya Rudolph also star.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Grab your popcorn and sit back for a couple hours of laughter. It's pretty guaranteed with McCarthy at the helm.

Grade: 7