Sex and the Single Mom (2003)
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A protective mother and a professional woman navigate the complexities of a secret affair and the challenges of raising a teenage daughter.
The story
Jess, a paralegal and aspiring lawyer, is an overprotective mother to her 15-year-old daughter, Sara. When Sara reveals she is considering having sex with her boyfriend, Jess becomes increasingly protective. During a court case, Jess meets Alex, a heart surgeon from Atlanta who is separated from his wife. The two begin a passionate secret affair. However, the complications of their secret lives begin to surface as Jess tries to balance her professional ambitions, her burgeoning romance with Alex, and her role as a mother to a teenager who is beginning to seek her own independence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Jess, a paralegal and aspiring lawyer, is a single mother to her 15-year-old daughter, Sara. When Sara reveals she is considering sex with her boyfriend, Chad, Jess becomes overprotective. During a court case, Jess meets Alex, a heart surgeon from Atlanta. They begin a passionate affair that Jess keeps secret from Sara. Before Thanksgiving, they meet in Chicago, where Alex confesses his love but decides to return to his children in Atlanta. During Thanksgiving, Jess discovers she is pregnant from their final encounter. She tries to hide the test, but Sara finds it, leading to a confession. Shortly after, Jess catches Sara having sex with Chad. The ensuing conflict leads Sara to move out temporarily. After Sara witnesses Chad's infidelity at a party, she returns home and reconciles with Jess. Months later, Jess gives birth to a son, Jake. The story concludes with the birth of the baby and a promise from Sara to help care for him.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Don McBrearty
- Writers
- Judith Paige Mitchell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gail O'Grady · Jess Gradwell; Grant Show · Alex Lofton; Danielle Panabaker · Sara Gradwell; Nigel Bennett · Nick Gradwell; Cindy Sampson · April Gradwell; Joshua Close · Tyler; Kyle Schmid · Chad; Shelley Thompson · Alyssa
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- Motherhood; Secret Relationships; Parental Conflict
- Tone and mood
- Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Single Mother; Affair; Teenage Pregnancy
- Reception
- The Oklahoma Gazette panned the movie overall, while DVD Verdict gave a more positive review, calling it 'quite entertaining, well acted, and well made' despite some plot issues.
- Production trivia
- A sequel titled 'More Sex and the Single Mom' was released in 2005.; Gail O'Grady reprised her role as Jess in the sequel.; The sequel features a different actress, Chelsea Hobbs, as Sara.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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