Mamarazzi at the Movies

People Like Us star Elizabeth Banks fields questions about her real son, her on-screen son, and how to be a better parent to them both

“MOMosas” and bagels proved to be an agreeable breakfast this past Tuesday, when moms gathered on Park Avenue for a preview screening of People Like Us (in theaters Friday, June 29). The midday event was one of many “Mamarazzi” events hosted by media-savvy duo Denise Albert and Melissa Gerstein.

At the end of the tearjerker (if only they’d passed out tissues along with the cake pops), the real fun began, as Albert and Gerstein kicked off a Q&A with the movie’s heroine, Elizabeth Banks. The actress played a single mother struggling to make ends meet, all the while raising a rebellious pre-teen and dealing with the death of her neglectful, record producer father. Actor Chris Pine co-starred, and the likes of Michele Pfeiffer and Olivia Wilde also lit up the screen. 

As MOMosas and prosecco (the event was co-sponsored by Martini & Rossi) continued to flow, questions abounded from the moms in the crowd. In turn, Banks imparted pearl after pearl of wisdom. “You can’t choose who you’re related to, but you can choose to like them,” she said in regards to the film’s utterly dysfunctional family. Minutes later, when asked about being chummy with her son, she answered sternly: “We need to be to be a parent, first and foremost. Kids are going to have a lot of friends, but they only get one of you.” 

And it was only a matter of time before Banks was asked how she balanced motherhood with her career as an actress. “It takes a village, so figure out who’s in your village,” she noted, before a contemplative pause. “I also have a running tally 24/7. I always wonder: What’s he doing? Who’s he with? Does he miss me? Once I know the answer to those questions, I can go about my life.” —Lucie Alig

Photos courtesy of: DreamWorks Studios