Grab your Hallmark cards and call the florist to put
together a sweet bouquet because, once again, another Mother’s Day is upon
us. While some might look at this day as
just an excuse from the greeting card company to sell more cards, you can also
use it as an excuse to watch some fun movies. There are movies for just about
every mood and every genre. Call your mother or just sit back and relax for a Mother’s
Day movie night in spirit. You will be certain to enjoy at least one of these
classics:
10. Psycho- Norman Bates runs a motel with his mother. Norman
is a dedicated and devoted son; the problem is that his mother has been dead
for years and he has mummified her corpse. Norman has regular conversations
with his mother which makes for a shocking discovery to find out she’s been
dead for years. He suffers from multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia
that causes him to dress like his mother and murder in a fashion he thinks she
would. It’s a classic Alfred Hitchcock horror story and filmed incredibly well.
This is a film that shows a lot skill in character, music cues, and exposition.
It is also arguably one of the first slasher movies so it holds a prestigious place
in horror history as well as Mother’s Day classic.
9. Throw Momma From the Train- A writer named Larry who is
suffering from writer’s block and a terrible ex-wife, meets a strange man named
Owen in a writing class. Owen has a comically
abusive mother. After seeing the movie Stranger’s
on a Train, Owen and Larry decide to murder for one another. Owen will kill Larry’s wife and Larry will
kill Owen’s mother. Of course the problem is that Owen’s mother is not exactly
easy to put down. Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito have a really wonderful
chemistry. It’s a very dark comedy and worth seeing.
8. Terms of Endearment- Grab the tissues because you will
need them after this movie. In a nutshell, the movie is about the relationship
between a mother and daughter as the daughter goes through ups and downs in her
life. Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger,
and Jack Nicholson bring great performances.
It covers a lot of life subjects and does so in a very authentic way- subjects
like cheating, cancer, death, aging, and so much more. Aurora and Emma’s trials
and tribulations are addressed and shown with the dignity and respect they
deserve.
7. Changeling- Angelina Jolie stars in this Clint Eastwood
directed film inspired by real events in 1928. A boy is kidnapped from a single
mother, played by Angelina Jolie. The
son is eventually returned but it is soon discovered that he is an imposter.
When she tells the authorities she knows the boy is not her son they put her in
the psychopathic ward of a mental institute.
Eventually, she fights to figure out what became of her son. The atmosphere
is appropriate for the time period going right into the Depression era imagery.
Angelina Jolie brings a very vulnerable performance that works with the
desperate tone of the film. It’s an impressive story of struggle and
vindication.
6. We Need to Talk About Kevin- This movie follows Tilda
Swinton as a mother of a boy who goes on a killing spree that ends in a school
massacre. It shows flashbacks of the
mother, Eva, raising the baby, Kevin.
Eva has very little emotional connection to Kevin. Kevin shows many signs
of sociopathic behavior but no one sees him for what he is except his mother. Eva tries to convince her husband to see
Kevin for the monster that he is, but her attempts fail and her distrust
creates a rift in her marriage. Eventually Kevin kills a great many
people. Eva is hated by many of the
families in her town and she is confused as to where she went wrong with her
son. All the while she still attempts to
show him affection and understand him despite his horrible actions. It is a fascinating and terrifying story.
5. Mother’s Day- This is the 2010 remake of the 1980 film of
the same name. A group of criminals invade the home of a suburban family that is
having a party. While looking for money that is supposed to be hidden in the
home, the leader and mother of the invaders, played by Rebecca De Mornay,
arrives. She steals the show by playing a mix of sweet,
reasonable, deadly, and manipulative. There are elements that border on torture
porn. For example, poring boiling water into a man’s ears. The dynamic characters
make an otherwise dull concept and turn it into creepy thriller.
4. Mommie Dearest- The story of Joan Crawford’s (played by
Faye Dunaway) journey through motherhood. Told from the point of view of Joan’s
daughter Christina Crawford, we see that Joan Crawford was very emotionally
unstable and very controlling. The
acting is fantastic and because of it, the movie is very quotable. Most people
remember the infamous “no more wire hangers” scene where Faye Dunaway beats her
daughter with a wire hanger. This is a fascinating dark drama that reveals the
underbelly of a Hollywood legend.
3. The Kids Are Alright- Motherhood from the point of view of
a lesbian couple. One of their two kids begins looking for their biological
father and is eventually contacted by him. The family gets thrown into turmoil
as this new element is added to the mix.
Annette Bening is fantastic in her role.
She is believable in all her vulnerability and her anger at the
situations that arise from the new interloper coming into her family. The Kids
Are Alright address situations that are not commonly seen in movies, such as
the positive portrayal of gay parenting. This movie confronts realistic
conflicts that would occur in a modern household rather than creating an
over-the-top, stereotypical portrayal of gay parents: the son wondering why the
moms are watching gay porn; the morality of Julianne Moore’s character cheating
on Annette Bening with the children’s biological father; the controversy
Moore’s character causes by having sex with a man.
2. Serial Mom- A typical suburban housewife, played by
Kathleen Turner, who just happens to be serial killer. In this dark comedy by
John Waters there are loads of great jokes, gore, and many other jabs at
suburban normality that we have come to expect from Waters. For example, after
her daughter is stood up for a date she finds the boy at a swap meet and
murders him with a fire poker. If your mother is not opposed to some light gore
then this might be a perfect one to watch with her on Mother’s Day.
1. Brave- Pixar’s Brave is not only a visually lovely movie but
also an overall incredible story. Princess
Merida and Queen Elinor have a struggling relationship. After a bit of magic from
a bizarre witch, the Queen is turned into a bear. In order to restore things
back to normal, they need to overcome their differences and learn to see things
from the other’s point of view. Such things include having the Princess learn
to use diplomacy and the Queen learning how to hunt. They manage to find a way to mend their
relationship and grow from the experience. It is a very sweet and lovely movie,
perfect to deepen the bond between you and your mother.
These movies are all just ideas to uphold the spirit of Mother’s Day. If you really would like to make the Mother’s Day special, make sure to invite your mother to watch these gems with you. If nothing else, they will at least spark some interesting conversations between the two of you. Just remember that some of the movies require your mother to have a sense of humor or a love of the bizarre and horrifying. Whatever movie you decide to watch, be sure to appreciate your mother and have a safe and lovely Mother’s Day.
