Your Mommy Kills Animals

There's no denying that a documentary that starts off showing images of abused dogs and slaughtered animals will capture your attention. However, the true test of the worth of Curt Johnson's magnificent Your Mommy Kills Animals emerges in his ability to present two sides of a heavy and heated argument. Primarily a piece of almost-investigative journalism exploring the passion of the animal rights movements compared to the less radical animal welfare groups, Your Mommy Kills Animals starts off showy and sensational, but ends up captivating, mesmerizing and overwhelmingly moralistic.

One on hand, you've got the extremists: a group of passionate, highly motivated and even fanatical people who are being attacked politically, morally and legally in the U.S. right now. On the other hand, you've got the more temperate: the animal welfare groups, who are no less passionate, yet far less drastic in their measures. As Johnson explores both sides, he also highlights the inherent hypocrisy and systematic problems with larger, more famous groups, such as PETA and the U.S. Humane Society. The title of the film comes from a pamphlet that PETA handed out to kids on playgrounds.

Johnson merges the two opposing sides, and manages to interweave the very human stories behind many of the key people involved, from Hollywood spokespeople to the now-imprisoned SHAC 7. In short, Johnson pulls together a smart, captivating and even brilliant examination of an issue that in many ways goes beyond the shock and awe of the abused animals at its core.