Mental

Mental is an Australian-American comedy-drama about the Moochmore family, who live in the seaside town of Dolphin Heads. When Shirley, the mother of five daughters, is taken to a psychiatric hospital after a breakdown, her husband Barry, who is often away, hires a nanny named Shaz. Charismatic and unpredictable, Shaz shakes up the household and changes the lives of the family.

P.J. Hogan directed and wrote the film, which followed Confessions of a Shopaholic in his filmography and came after earlier works including Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding, Peter Pan and Dark Shadows. Toni Collette plays Shaz, with Anthony LaPaglia as Barry Moochmore and Rebecca Gibney as Shirley. Liev Schreiber, Caroline Goodall and Kerry Fox also appear among the 32 credited cast members, supported by 60 credited crew.

Released in October 2012, the film runs 116 minutes and combines comedy with drama. It took about 4 million dollars worldwide, a modest result. On IMDb it holds 6.1 out of 10 from around 5,300 votes, while on TMDB it has 5.6 out of 10 from 86 votes. A critics' rating of 5.5 out of 10 from 54 reviews places it close to the audience scores, indicating a generally mixed response across both groups.