Mother’s Day is this weekend. Hopefully, you get to see your mom, but with social distancing that might be harder this year. With mom on top of mind, there are lots of great films about moms you can watch. This weekend, why not take a break from the usual shows you are binging and watch one of these movies instead?
This week, we look at five films about moms.
Freaky Friday (1976 or 2003)
A movie where a mom and her daughter find each other switching bodies and thus must live each other’s lives for a day. Whether you watch the original with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris or the remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, this is a great for moms and daughters to watch together on Mother’s Day. Granted, it is definitely a bit silly, but it is all about the mother-daughter relationship.
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
A film about four Chinese woman and their American-born daughters. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Amy Tan, depicts the relationship between these women and the cultural divides they share. It was just the second Hollywood film to feature a mostly Asian cast (the third being Crazy Rich Asians, released in 2018). It’s a great, emotional film about the mother-daughter dynamic.
Mama Mia! (2008)
Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is about to be married and dreams of having her father walk her down the aisle. From her mother’s diary, she determines that one of three men — Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) — is her dad. She invites all three to the wedding, hoping that her mom (Meryl Streep) will be able to reveal who her father’s identity. While it is a film about a young woman searching for her father, it is also about the relationship between a mother and daughter. Besides, the film is filled with the music of ABBA, and who doesn’t love ABBA?
Brave (2012)
Brave is about Merida, a young Scottish princess whose interests like archery and horseback riding are not approved by her mother, Queen Elinor. Her mother says Merida must get married but Merida is not interested in doing so. Merida and her mother do not get along, so Merida visits a witch, asking for her mom to be changed. It works — Queen Elinor is transformed into a bear. The two must work together to fix the problem. It may sound a bit crazy, but this is a great film about moms and daughters. And, hey, it’s a Pixar film, so you know it’s good.
Lady Bird (2017)
A coming of age story taking place during a young girl’s senior year of high school. Christine, who prefers to go by Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), is constantly at odds with her mom (Laurie Metcalf). Lady Bird longs to break free from her family and head east to attend college. There are lots of obstacles in the way. The film, which was directed by Greta Gerwig, was nominated for Best Picture and both Ronan and Metcalf were also nominated for Oscars. This film shows a strained mother-daughter relationship, but it is definitely worth viewing.
Whatever you choose to do this weekend, be sure to make time for your mom! Happy Mother’s Day!
