'If you crave the feeling your mums' group gave you, watch this.'

Describing my mums' group sounds like the trailer for a movie. 

Stick with me. Read this in your best Mr Movie voice: a ragtag bunch of women connected by nothing more than the fact that they all got knocked up around the same time. 

In fact, if I was reviewing that movie I'd say the characters were a little cliched. We had the Corporate Girl Boss, worried about taking time away from work; the All-Natural Earth Mumma; the Adventurous One, with itchy feet to travel, the Fashionista, who bought baby clothes at Gucci (it's true) and so on… We even had a Scientist in the group — handy if the movie of our lives ever had a sci-fi spin-off. 

Movie tropes aside, as a new mum, mothers' group was my lifeline. I'm not sure how I would've survived those early days of motherhood without it. 

While we had little in common to start, our lives became incredibly similar in the early months after birth. We were all inner-city couples with a newborn, sleep-deprived and muddling through the chaos of early parenthood. 

We went through it all together — the struggles with feeding, mysterious rashes, postpartum bodies, the endless teething dramas, strained marriages and pictures of poo. 

So many pictures. 

A lot of conversations (and pictures not safe for work) were in WhatsApp, but the best moments were spent physically together, often sitting in a park or cafe with our babies baring our souls and setting the world right.

As the years have gone by, our paths have diverged. Some of us are back at work full-time, others are starting over with new businesses or studying. There have been separations, new partners and more babies. Finding a date we can all make is a challenge and when we do get there, finding common conversational ground can be even harder. The first half is often filled with small talk rather than the deep, meaningful conversations we used to have and still crave.

Like many grown-up mums group, we hack through the awkwardness with an activity (or a tipple). Book club is a great way to get straight to big talk but the reading commitment usually rules out half the group. Our kids aren't babies anymore either—they’re 6 and 7, full of energy, and need more entertainment than a colouring book and a cafe table if we adults actually want to spend quality time together.

After plenty of searching and some less-than-stellar catch-ups, I'm pretty sure have found the perfect solution for our next mums group reunion this school holidays: The Wild Robot. A movie we can go to see together with the kids.

What is The Wild Robot movie about? 

The Wild Robot is the new DreamWorks film, and it's the perfect movie for the kids and your mum friends. 

Based on Peter Brown's beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling book, the story follows an intelligent robot named Roz who is stranded on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck. 

After an unfortunate (but beautifully animated) incident, Roz takes on the role of mother to an orphaned baby goose called Bright Bill. To survive — in all senses of the word — Roz forms unlikely friendships with the island's animals. She's a single mum struggling to get through, and finds her village and real purpose.

This isn't just any animated film. DreamWorks Animation has outdone itself with this one. The Wild Robot is described as the most beautiful animation they've ever created. It's visually stunning, with breathtaking landscapes and meticulously detailed characters. It's somewhere between photorealism and the most beautiful painting, I feel like it will be a big deal come awards season.

Image: Universal Pictures.

Why your mums' group will love it.

For an animated metal machine, Roz is unbelievably relatable. I'll confess now, I cried for about 60 minutes straight. Not because it was sad or depressing. Instead, it mirrored so much of my own motherhood journey. 

The huge love you feel, and the equally huge feeling of responsibility. 

The way children constantly try to un-alive themselves in the early years and the fact that you can't wrap them up in cotton wool forever. 

The absolute monotony of trying to complete any task with a toddler around, and how those moments will become your fondest memories.

(You'll know that last scene when you see it. I actually laughed out loud in recognition.)

Roz's story is about discovering and accepting the person you become after you become a parent. She even struggles with the way motherhood changes her body. Relatable much?

And if that's not enough, the film features an all-star voice cast. Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara (yes, Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek), Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames all lend their voices to the film's loveable characters. It's a fun game of 'spot (hear) the star' that will keep you entertained just as much as the kids.

Why the kids will love it.

Image: Universal Pictures.

The plot moves fast, with plenty of new characters and settings to keep even the smallest kids entertained. 

If your kids are into robots (who isn't?), Roz has plenty of cool features and gadgets but she's also a warm and likable character kids will instantly connect with.

It’s full of adventure, and there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments, too — especially with the quirky cast of animal characters that Roz befriends. Think cheeky baby possums and a flock of goofy geese. 

Beyond the laughs, the G-rated film also delivers important life lessons in a way that's accessible to young kids. Acceptance is a key theme. Accepting yourself and others but also the message that you should take the world for what it is and finding a place within that which makes you happy even if that doesn’t make sense to others. 

While the ending is positive, it’s not neatly resolved in a definitive 'happily ever after' and I think that's a good thing for our children to see. Being comfortable with ambiguity is a skill I want my kids to have, because as long as you have a strong support network around you — you can get through anything.

Buy tickets to The Wild Robot, only in cinemas this September school holidays.

Feature Image: Supplied.