Uma Thurman takes a reel look at 'Motherhood'

Her long blonde hair was in a pile of curls on top off her head, and she was dressed casual in a plum sweater and dark denim jeans. As she entered a conference room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston, Uma Thurman did what anyone would do – make a beeline for the food.

“It’s a shame to let all this go to waste,” said the actress, Amherst-bred Thurman, as she piled fresh fruit onto a plate and grabbed a Sprite before settling in for an interview about her latest flick, “Motherhood,” which opens Friday. Sitting next to Thurman was the writer-director Katherine Dieckmann.

Thurman has played a scorned superhero in my “Super Ex-Girlfriend,” a junkie married to a gangster in “Pulp Fiction” and a vengeful assassin in “Kill Bill,” but she relates most to her latest role as Eliza Welch, a frazzled mom juggling children, marriage and an aspiring writing career.

“I once had a doctor give me a written prescription to check into a hotel one night a week for my health and well being ... of course I never did it,” said Thurman, 39, who has two children, daughter Maya Ray, 11, and son Levon Roan, 7, from her former marriage to actor Ethan Hawke.

Thurman was in Boston last month to pick up an excellence award from the Boston Film Festival, an accolade Thurman confesses she did not even know about until the night before, but nonetheless felt “completely thrilled and incredibly honored.”

Set in Manhattan, “Motherhood” tells a day-in-the-life tale of a mommy trying to do it all – raise her children, maintain her marriage and hang onto her own identity and writing career.

On this day, Eliza, is in goody-bag hell – prepping for her daughter’s birthday party, taking care of her toddler son and writing her entry for the “what does motherhood mean to you” contest. The film takes her character on a bumpy ride of mommy meltdowns and playground politics. Eliza’s car gets towed; she never showers; she fights with her best friend (Minnie Driver); and her husband (Anthony Edwards) is gone more than he’s home – all situations Thurman and Dieckmann nod to with been-there, done-that expressions.

“After my daughter was born I went back to work when she was a baby, and that freaked me out,” Thurman said. “I didn’t know how to do it, and it caused a lot of stress in my relationship (with Hawke) at the time. Work, baby, relationship – something was going to break. One had to get lost because I couldn’t manage all three.”

Thurman said she took about two to three years off to be with her babies and returned to the screen for “Kill Bill.” Since then she’s had roles in “Prime” with Meryl Streep, “The Producers” and “The Accidental Husband,” alongside Colin Firth.

Calling the “Motherhood” project “worthwhile,” Thurman doesn’t accept just any old role. She takes a sort of cost-benefit approach to her choices, asking herself questions like “Is it worth it?”, “Is it practical?” or “Is there any substance to it?”

“That’s what motherhood does to your creative life. You look at the work in a devastatingly creative way. I still need to earn a living, and I need to take care of my children. It’s quite a dilemma for women.”

In Eliza, Dieckmann said she manifested those challenges, hoping to make the character identifiable. Dieckmann said the movie was personal, drawn from her experiences, and it has elicited all kinds of responses. She recalled a screening at the Sundance Film Festival in January: “This woman came up to me with tears in her eyes, saying no one has ever talked about that moment in the car, driving home – you’re so tired, and you still have to make dinner, and you just want to drive past the exit.”

On the cusp of turning 40 next April 29, Thurman talks confidently about her career, family and future. Her children are older, and she’s engaged to financier Arpad Busson. She’s also got a few projects lined up, including a rumored third “Kill Bill” flick.

“It doesn’t feel as upsetting as 35 felt,” Thurman said about the big 4-0. “At 35 it felt like my life was full of chaos. I was feeling very stressed. The 40 milestone is certainly sitting better because I feel I’m in a good place.”

And the million-dollar question – what does motherhood mean to her?

“Everything.”

Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@ledger.com.