just last year and roger ebert sing the praise of the serial killer b movie kalifornia and cite it and vastly overestimate it a a brilliant character study with something intelligent to say about our culture of violence . while that film take itself way too seriously and serial mom manages to get kalifornia attempted message across by a far more successful mean represent humor . it be a john water film in the pure sense and in that it entirely impure . more edgy than his last movie and cry baby and but not nearly as extreme a pink flamingo and serial mom be fill to the brim with his trademark over the top gross out humor but this time it have a purpose . it tell the simple story of a conservative housewife ( play indelibly by kathleen turner ) who murder whomever be unlucky enough to get on her nerve . while her husband ( acclaimed actor sam waterston in a different light ) and two child ( matthew lillard and ricki lake ) begin to suspect her criminal nature and the suburban town death toll rise a more and more people make the mistake of ping her off . turner performance do for suburbia what al pacino in scarface do for the mob represent it wallow in it outlandish excess ( oscar snub and anyone . ) . the murder scenes themselves be so outrageous ( they range from stab a man in the back with a poker and remove some anonymous inner organ to lambast a woman with a pot roast ) that the film can not help but not be take seriously and and this be where it make it point . a stanley kubrick do with a clockwork orange and water rub our face in our own inner obsession with violence but unlike others who have attempt this feat and he remember to do more than just condemn his audience . rather and he expose u for what we really be and show that he wouldn not have it any other way . while others might have stop as soon a turner be catch and water keep the story move throughout her trial which feature the most entertaining act of courtroom self defense since woody allen in banana . one of her killing involve drop the stage light at a concert on the head of her son friend and then proceed to set him on fire while the audience applaud her sadism and but water doesn not glorify the act represent during the trial and the prosecutor display photograph of the burnt corpse and but everyone in the courtroom be distract by the presence of suzanne somers . critic who have attack water for be gratuitous be mistaken represent he do show the consequence of the corrupt act he depict but he also reveal the sad truth and which be that no one really care anymore . along with take on our culture passion for depravity and the film also address our other potentially dangerous problem represent repress conservative housewife . have no life outside of the home and turner be so obsessed with do the best for her family that she willing to ( permanently ) get rid of anyone who get in the way . rather than be frightening and her killing be just example of how soccer mom perfectionism can go too far . in one scene and a future victim of hers be watch annie and sing along to tomorrow while her dog lick her foot represent now thats frighten . grade represent b plus .