Life Of The Party is a fun comedy that stars Melissa McCarthy. Having just dropped her daughter off for her last year of college, Deanna's husband tells her that he's having an affair and he wants a divorce. Completely blindsided by the revelations, Deanna must figure out what to do with her life.
Years earlier, Deanna dropped out of college when she became pregnant and has always regretted not getting her degree. Thankfully Deanna has a really lovely relationship with her daughter Maddie (Mollie Gordon), so when she suggests going back to college, she gets her full support.
Determined that her mum will get a real college experience, Maddie plans parties and nights out with her sorority friends and soon Deanna is the Life of the Party. But this isn't some sad mid-life crisis unfolding. It's actually a very funny and sweet look at a woman finally going for what she wants having devoted her whole life to her family.
As a character, Deanna is incredibly likable. She's not overbearing, doesn't want to step on her daughter's toes and is fully aware of how she is perceived at college. But despite that, she works hard and even has a fling much to her best friend, Christine's delight (Maya Rudolph).
The comedy ramps up when Deanna runs into her ex Dan (Matt Walsh) with his new partner and while most of the film is relatively realistic with a nicely paced script, there are one or two eye-rolling moments. They just amp up the drama for comedic effect.
Overall Life Of The Party is a well-written comedy and one that you can sit back with a glass of wine and watch to your heart's content. Melissa McCarthy (Nine Perfect Strangers) is her usual fabulous self, you'll laugh and enjoy it but it won't win any awards. It's a feel-good movie that sets out to entertain and that's exactly what it does.
Available on both Amazon Prime and Netflix.
