In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re taking mom to the movies by paying tribute to some of the most iconic mom roles in our favorite films.
Love them or hate them, these moms know how to light up the silver screen.
Included in our list are some of my personal favorite mom roles in no order.
Some of these films were Oscar winners and others were panned by critics, but the performances by the women in these films received critical acclaim.
Be sure to check out the links at the end of the article to find more movies with unforgettable mom roles.
Mommie Dearest (1981) - Faye Dunaway stars as Joan Crawford in the film adaptation of the controversial book Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford the adopted daughter of Hollywood legend Joan Crawford. The film alleges Crawford was a violent alcoholic who was abusive to her adopted children. Friends of Crawford have admitted to her problems with alcohol but insist Crawford’s strict parenting style was questionable but not abusive. Dunaway gives an amazing performance and to this day, there are no wire hangers in my closets.
Forrest Gump (1994) – Sally Field stars as Forrest Gump’s single mother. Forrest (played by Tom Hanks) is intellectually challenged and must overcome physical challenges as well. His ability to succeed can be directly tied back to his incredible no-nonsense mom who always believed in him and never stopped pushing him to achieve. Field’s performance is one of the strongest in the multi-award- winning film.
Norma Rae (1979) – Sally Field stars as Norma Rae Webster, a single working mother of two boys with different fathers. She is a North Carolina factory worker with limited education. Norma Rae becomes involved in attempts to unionize the textile mill she works at to force management to improve working conditions, pay, and benefits for the workers who are getting sick from their poor working conditions. Norma Rae is a courageous character who fights to create a better life for her family. Her dedication to the fight threatens to jeopardize her relationship with Sonny (played by Beau Bridges) her boyfriend who eventually becomes her husband. Field won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role.
The World According to Garp (1982) In her film debut, Glenn Close stars as Jenny Fields a World War II army nurse who impregnates herself with the sperm of a dying pilot and raises the child “Garp” as a single parent. Robin Williams plays Garp. Jenny becomes a successful author and uses her wealth to fund a center at her home for troubled and abused women. The character of Jenny is controversial. She conceives by raping a brain-dead dying soldier and then she unapologetically meddles in the life of her son until her death. She’s not a mom we’d like to be, but Close’s performance garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Frozen River (2008) Melissa Leo stars as Ray Eddy, a struggling working mother with two sons. When her husband, a compulsive gambler, disappears with all their money, Ray becomes strapped for cash and begins smuggling illegals from Canada to the United States across the frozen St. Lawrence River with Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham). Lila is a young mother whose child was taken at birth by her mother-in-law. The two women form an uneasy partnership as Ray tries to earn enough money to buy a better home (a double-wide trailer) for her family and Lila tries to earn enough money to get her child back. It’s a gritty film and a compelling story about what mothers will do to keep their families together and try to give their children better lives. Leo was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and though she did not win an Oscar, she won several other awards for her performance.
Terms of Endearment (1983) The film covers 30 years of a relationship between a mother, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger). Aurora is a widow obsessed with protecting her daughter by controlling every aspect of her life. Emma rebels and impetuously marries. Mother and daughter maintain their troubled relationship and when Emma is diagnosed with cancer, Aurora cares for her and Emma’s children. MacLaine gives a strong performance as a repressed widow who tries to live through her child. Jack Nicholson is the perfect man to loosen her up. It’s funny and sad and Aurora turns out to be a great mom despite her past mistakes. MacLaine won an Academy Award for her performance.
Stepmom (1998) This film stars Susan Sarandon as Jackie, a divorced mom coming to grips with Isabel (Julia Roberts) the younger woman her ex-husband plans to marry. Isabel is a photographer with an exciting career who knows nothing about children or how to be a stepmom. When Jackie is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she and Isabel must come together and forget their past squabbles to help the children accept Isabel as their new stepmom. Strong performances by both Sarandon and Roberts as two women with different parenting styles. The film touches on a very real aspect of divorce when there are children involved. Sarandon was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Bad Moms (2016) This is not one of my favorite films, but it merits inclusion on the list because it deals our struggle to be all things to all people. No matter how hard we try, there’s always a mom who volunteers for more school activities, bakes prettier cupcakes, dresses better, and wins every PTA election. She’s always out there and sometimes she’s even nice. Amy (Mila Kunis) is the working mom who tries so hard to do it all. After she learns her husband is cheating on her, she snaps under the pressure to hold it all together. She makes friends with moms Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) who are also suffering from mommy overload. The three friends agree to stop trying to please everyone and take time to relax. Their decision puts them in direct opposition to the PTA Queen Bee, Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate). You’ll have to watch to see what happens next. This film makes you question the criteria we use to determine good moms and bad moms.
Steel Magnolias (1989) This film has an all-star cast of women. M’Lynn (Sally Field) and her daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts) are preparing for Shelby’s wedding. Shelby has a serious medical condition and is advised by her doctors not to get pregnant because of the stress to her kidneys. Shelby does eventually become pregnant and the women in the community rally around her for support. I know it’s a movie practically everyone has seen, but I’ll stop now in case someone missed it. Get your tissues ready and sit back and watch these strong women spread the love and support each other through Shelby’s journey to motherhood. Julia Roberts was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Robin Williams stars as Daniel Hillard and Mrs. Doubtfire. Daniel is the Peter Pan like character who never really grew up despite marrying and having a family. He’s the fun dad who breaks all the rules. Sally Field plays his wife, Miranda who tires of being the responsible parent and files for divorce. Daniel disguises himself as Mrs. Doubtfire, an elderly woman and fools Miranda who hires Mrs. Doubtfire as a part-time housekeeper and babysitter. Daniel is happy spending more time with his kids. When Miranda confides in Mrs. Doubtfire about why she’s divorcing Daniel, he begins to accept responsibility for his actions and starts to change. Miranda is a difficult role. She’s hurt and angry and unhappy with always being the fun-killing disciplinarian who craves order, because she’s also a loving mom who’s trying to do what’s best for her family. Miranda grows as a person and a mother from her friendship with Mrs. Doubtfire and in the end, they find a new family dynamic that works for everyone.
Real Women Have Curves (2002) This film won an award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. America Ferrera plays Ana Garcia, a smart high school senior and first-generation American, who struggles with her desire to go to college and her obligation to help support the family. Her mother, Carmen (Lupe Ontiveros) wants Ana to work with her at the dress factory, get married and start a family. She sees no reason for Ana to college. Carmen is critical of Ana’s weight and makes Ana feel ashamed of her curvy figure. Carmen is a bitter woman who has allowed the hardships she’s had to face to make her angry at the world. She takes her anger out on Ana. Ana overcomes her mother’s bitterness and gets to realize her dreams, but she must also learn to love her curves and be okay with the realization her mother will never support her ambitions or celebrate her successes. Sadly, we all know a Carmen, and she makes us appreciate our moms for not being like her.
Wonder (2017) Julia Roberts plays Isabel Pullman, the mother of Olivia and Auggie. Auggie was born with facial deformities that have kept him out of public school. Auggie’s parents decide to enroll him in private school starting in fifth grade. The other students have trouble accepting him at first, but the support of his family keeps him going. Julia Roberts tackles this tough role brilliantly.
The Joy Luck Club (1993) This film is about Chinese American women and their relationships with their immigrant Chinese mothers. Four Chinese immigrant women form the “Joy Luck Club” to support each other as they adjust to their new lives in San Francisco. The women play mahjong and share stories about their lives and their relationships with their daughters. It must be incredibly scary to leave behind everything that’s familiar, start over in a new country, and raise a family.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) Akeelah Anderson is a ten-year-old girl with an uncanny gift for spelling words. Angela Bassett plays her mother Tanya. Tanya initially forbids Akeelah from entering the spelling contests, but eventually she comes to support Akeelah. This feel-good film has a powerful message about the importance of supporting your child’s ambitions even if you don’t initially see the value of them.
Freaky Friday (2003) I’ve seen both films and this remake is my favorite. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan star as mother and daughter who unwittingly switch bodies. It’s got a great supporting cast including Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray. It’s fun to watch Curtis and Lohan become each other. It’s a fun film for the whole family.
Baby Boom (1987) Diane Keaton stars as C.J. Wiatt, a successful Manhattan management consultant. When C.J,’s cousin dies, C.J. is shocked to find out she has been designated as the guardian for her cousin’s fourteen-month-old daughter, Elizabeth. After putting Elizabeth up for adoption, C.J. has a change of heart and begins to make Elizabeth a priority. This decision ends her relationship with her live-in boyfriend and wrecks her career. After retreating to Vermont and almost running out of money. C.J. regroups and finds a way to be a successful businesswoman and mother to Elizabeth. Keaton’s interactions with the toddler are great and there’s a wonderful message about family and what makes a someone a mom.
Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford plays Mildred Pierce, the mother of spoiled sixteen-year-old Veda and ten-year-old Kay. After her divorce, Mildred works hard to provide for her daughters, but Veda is ashamed her mother works as a baker. Mildred secretly takes a second job as a waitress to try to keep Veda happy, but Veda is never satisfied. In case you haven’t seen the movie, I won’t go into any more detail. Are there limits to a mother’s love? Should there be? Watch this movie and decide for yourself.
Mr. Mom (1983) Michael Keaton stars as Jack Butler an engineer who loses his job during the recession. Terri Garr plays his wife Caroline who goes back to work in advertising until Jack can find another job in his field. Jack becomes a stay-at-home dad to their three kids. It fun to see their roles reversed.
Mermaids (1990) Cher stars as Rachel a flighty single mom who moves with her two daughters every time a relationship ends. Rachel prefers being a friend to her daughters rather than trying to be a parent. Fifteen-year-old Charlotte is tired of moving and embarrassed by her mother’s lackadaisical parenting. It’s an interesting dynamic when the child behaves like the parent and the parent like the child and even more interesting when they learn to assume their proper roles in the family.
The Guilt Trip (2012) Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogan star as mother and son who end up traveling cross country together. It’s a fun mother/son dynamic and Streisand and Rogan have wonderful chemistry.
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) Drew Barrymore plays Bev, a bright young girl who dreams of going to college and becoming a successful writer. Bev and her best friend Fay both get pregnant at age 15 and both hastily get married. Bev has a son and Fay has a daughter. When the realities of motherhood and marriage at such a young age hit the girls, they begin to regret their choices and Bev starts to blame her son for ruining her life. Bev and Fay gradually stop thinking of the things they missed out on and learn to love the lives they have created with their children.
The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) Holly Hunter voices Helen Parr (Elastigirl) in both movies. Helen and her husband Bob (Mr. Incredible) are living incognito in suburbia raising their three children after superheroes have been banned by society because of the destruction their powers caused while fighting crime. Helen is a strong mother figure and its great for kids to see a mom being a superhero.
Fargo (1996) What’s not to love about heavily pregnant Brainerd Chief of Police Marge Gunderson (played magnificently by Frances McDormand)?
Carrie (1976) Sissy Spacek plays Carrie in the movie adaptation of this Stephen King horror classic. Piper Laurie plays her mother, Margaret, a religious fanatic whose cruelty to Carrie sends her over the edge and unleashes her destructive telekinetic powers. Margaret is everything you never want a mother to be. Spacek and Laurie both received Academy Award nominations for their roles.
Erin Brockovich (2000) Julia Roberts stars as Erin Brockovich an unemployed single mom who persuades her attorney to let her work for him as an assistant. Brockovich discovers an energy company has been paying the medical expenses of some of the residents in Hinckley, California and is offering to buy their homes. After further investigation, she learns the area is contaminated with dangerous levels of a carcinogenic chemical. Brockovich learns to work within the legal system to help others and provide for her children. Roberts won an Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.
Room (2015) Brie Larson stars as Joy Newsome who was abducted as a teen by a man who repeatedly rapes her and is the father of her son, Jack. Brie and Jack live in a tiny shed locked away from the world. Eventually, they escape, but re-entering the real world is problematic for Joy and Jack. Joy is a courageous character and a caring mother. Brie Larson won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance.
Postcards from the Edge (1990) Carrie Fisher wrote the screenplay based on her semi-autobiographical book of the same name. The mother/daughter relationship in the film is loosely based on Fisher’s relationship with her mother, Debbie Reynolds. Meryl Streep plays Suzanne, a recovering drug addict and actress who must live with her mother Doris (played by Shirley MacLaine) after she’s released from rehab. Doris is loud, overbearing, judgmental, and opinionated. She’s overshadowed Suzanne all her life and often treats Suzanne like a child. How will this mother and daughter reconcile their differences?
The Terminator (1984) Who wouldn’t want a bad ass like Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton) to be their mother?
Panic Room (2002) Jodie Foster plays Meg Altman, a recently divorced mother with an eleven-year-old daughter named Sarah (Kristen Stewart). Their new home is a brownstone in New York City’s Upper West Side which comes equipped with a panic room. When burglars invade their home, Meg and Sarah take shelter in the panic room but are without Sarah’s insulin. What will a mother do to save her child? Jodie Foster excels in this role as a mother protecting her child.
Kidnap (2017) Halle Berry stars as Karla, a diner waitress and single mom whose six-year-old son Frankie is abducted. Despite many holes in the plot and poor reviews, Berry received high praise for her performance. If you like a lot of action and car chases, this might be the one to watch on Mother’s Day.
Enough (2002) is based on the 1998 book, Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen. Jennifer Lopez stars as Slim. Slim is a waitress who falls for and marries Mitch, a seemingly chivalrous diner patron played by Billy Campbell. At first the marriage is great. After their daughter Grace is born, life seems perfect. When Slim discovers Mitch is cheating on her, she attempts to leave with Grace, and he becomes violent. Slim has no family of her own and gets no help from Mitch’s mother who blames Slim for their marital woes and Mitch’s abusive behavior. After repeated abuse, Slim manages to escape and go on the run with Grace. Though this movie was panned by critics, Lopez gives an impressive performance as a battered wife and mother fighting back to save her life and protect her child.
Peppermint (2018) Jennifer Garner stars as Riley North. Riley wakes up from a coma after surviving the brutal attack that killed her husband and daughter. When the men responsible evade justice, Riley sets out to get justice for her husband and daughter. She trains and plans her moves carefully. The movie was panned by critics, but Garner’s performance was praised. I’m a big fan of Alias, so the opportunity to watch Garner get physical again is too good to pass up. Nobody can stop a mom out for justice.
Sources for this article:
https://spy.com/articles/gadgets/video-media/strong-mom-movies-badass-kidnap-halle-berry-61071/
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g20127512/mothers-day-movies/
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/news-entertainment/g35432607/best-mothers-day-movies/