If there is a sub-genre that we have become very good at, it’s the feel-good comedy/drama. A film that takes a traditionally British story, throws in a bunch of likeable characters, a sprinkle of issues and incidents, then stirs them up in a pot and sees what sticks. It started, I guess, with films like The Full Monty and Calendar Girls. The latest to slot into this world is Mother’s Pride, from the team behind other fan favourites Fisherman’s Friends and Finding Your Feet. Set in the world of pubs in a small community, it has predictability written all over it, and while it’s a gentle tale of beer making, it falls short of previous films of this style.

Cal, a former pop singer, returns home to a pub run by his grieving father, Mick, who has become estranged from his wayward son. Losing money to a local gastropub and the possibility of closing, Cal comes up with an idea to save the place by brewing an award-winning beer and entering the national beer contest.

Co-writer and director Nick Moorcroft has made a career out of writing films like this, and setting it in a small country village, it is brimming with quirky characters and the trappings of village life, right down to the Morris dancing, which takes an unexpected turn. It ticks all the boxes when it comes to the look of the film, lush country fields, a collection of recognisable actors playing the off-kilt characters and a gentle soundtrack that is played almost throughout the film and heightened every time another issue rears its head, and there are a lot.

We have grief, with Mick still coping with the passing of his wife, and Cal’s return, which sparks issues with his father, his brother, Jake, and his former love, schoolteacher Abi (who loves short shorts). Add to that the competition and the rivalry with Pritchard, the wealthy gastropub owner and all-around bad guy who wanders around with an air of stereotype wealthiness, sneering at his competitors with a cocky attitude.

While all the elements are here, and there are some genuinely funny moments, this is a gentle comedy that has no other ambition but to be a film that audiences of a particular age will love with a cup of tea and maybe some interest from foreign markets as another quaint entry into the world outside London. Yet that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t try anything different, and it all feels far too safe.

The characters, while amusing, have been seen in dozens of these films, and every time another issue arises, the strings come in at full strength, but nothing is fully developed, and most never get concluded. When the finale finally arrives, you know exactly how it’s going to end, so if you think you know how it all ends up, you do.

The cast all seem to be having a great time, with The Inbetweeners James Buckley taking creation of Jay to the next level, this time as Jake, the sarcastic son and brother.Jonno Davies, who played the monekty version of Robbie Williams in Better Man, is perfectly bland as Cal, while Martin Clunes, who stole the show in Wuthering Heights, gets to play grumpy as Mick and Mark Addy, from The Full Monty, delivers another droll performance as local quirk, Paxman.

Mother’s Pride is perfectly fine for those who want something they can rely on that won’t offend or shock, but it all seems far too lazy and uninspired. It’s fine while you are watching, but you’re bound to forget it a few days later. These films need to be more ambitious.

3 out of 5

Director: Nick Moorcroft

Starring: Jonno Davies, Martin Clunes, Mark Addy, James Buckley, Gabriella Wilde, Luke Treadaway, Josie Lawrence, Lana Moorcroft, Miles Jupp, Karl Collins, Lola-Rose Maxwell

Written by: Nick Moorcroft, Meg Leonard and (additional material) Natalie Malla

Running Time: 93 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 6th March 2026