'Otherhood' tackles what happens to moms when kids grow up

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- You may or may not know the name Cindy Chupack, but you're surely familiar with her work.

She's been a creative mind on hits like ABC's "Modern Family" and "Sex and the City."

And now she's the director and co-writer of the new film, " Otherhood" - which tackles the topic of what happens to mothers and their kids when the little ones grow up and go their own way.

The film surrounds three suburban moms - played by Patricia Arquette, Felicity Huffman and Angela Bassett - who show up to the New York City homes of their sons unannounced.

They try to answer the questions: what happens to mothers after the all-encompassing years of motherhood? How do they find themselves as individuals once the childhood years are over? And how does the bond between mother and son take on a new life as they each evolve?

"I love laughing through tears, you know, that kind of bittersweet tone. I think that's just what life is. So I think that's what attracted me to this project in the first place," said Chupack. "I wanted it to be healing and also hopeful because it's sort of saying that it's never too late to repair a relationship or improve a relationship."

Jake Hoffman, son of Dustin Hoffman, stars as one of the sons in the film.

He says when he showed it to his brother - his reaction was instant.

"He texted my mom right after and was just 'I wanted to tell you I love you' and she was like 'I'm glad the movie worked', you know - so make sure you call your mother," he said with a laugh. "I think it's really resonating with people emotionally, but then kind of just a fun movie where you laugh the whole time, too."

The film begins streaming on Netflix August 2nd.