Mom's as mad as hell, and she's not going to take it anymore.
This paraphrase of a line from the feature film "Network" is the perfect mantra for the main character in "Mom's on Strike," a new TV movie premiering at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC Family Channel. Faith Ford ("Murphy Brown") stars as a devoted wife, parent and nurse who gets fed up with the general lack of attention and appreciation from her family. After everyone in the household forgets her birthday, she follows the lead of professionals who have lobbied for improved conditions, launching a one-woman strike.
Her husband (Tim Matheson, "West Wing") and children (Spencer Breslin, Sarah Gadon, Daniel Magder) are astonished by her actions, and they aren't the only ones. Inspiring other mothers to strike against their own clans, she becomes a media darling. The first lady eventually offers her a specially created commissioner of parenthood position in the president's cabinet, further straining her relationships with her relatives. "Brady Bunch" icon Florence Henderson appears as Ford's mother in the film, directed by James Keach.
"I'm not a mom yet," Ford says, "therefore, it's hard for me to identify with a lot of 'mom' roles, but I did identify with this one. I get so frustrated -- especially around Hollywood -- when I see mothers who are also agents or actresses, these amazing women who just get forgotten. They run around for their families, yet still work. They have great purpose, but their kids just run them ragged and their husbands want things `just so.' It's not that these women aren't loved, there's just a neglect thing going on."
Ford appreciates "Moms on Strike" for its satirical tone. "It's not that you feel sorry for (the main character). It makes you go, 'Yeah! All right!' She's doing something that has personal meaning, then it suddenly takes on a life of its own. She never planned that, but how do you turn down an offer from the first lady? You simply don't."
The scenario of "Moms on Strike" never could have happened in Ford's childhood home, the actress maintains. "My mother was always very strong. She was a working mom, a school-teacher, and she demanded our help from the very beginning. I learned to cook when I was 11, and I know that when I have kids, they will absolutely clean up after themselves. I also expect the sharing of responsibilities with any partner I have. That's just the way it is."
A strike certainly isn't an amusing situation in real life, and Ford stresses her movie doesn't mean to poke fun at that aspect. "It doesn't go on forever in this case," she says, "and it's made clear that the other characters, especially the men, have to pull their weight. The woman who wrote this (Nancey Silvers) took the stance that no one is a real victim in it, and it's important to establish that from the get-go."
The viewer-friendly nature of the film also is indicated by co-star Henderson's presence. "Florence isn't anything like what you would imagine her to be," Ford says. "She's really grounded, earthy but also reserved, and someone who has really had an interesting life. She should write her memoirs someday."
Ford also enjoyed the company of Matheson, "one of my favorite leading men ever. He's generous as an actor, but he's also just a good person. You can run into all types doing what I do, but I told Tim, `Anytime you want to work together again, I'm in.' He said, `Likewise.'
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