Happy Mother's Day: Our Favorite Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day today, , the TFS Staff have selected some of their favorite motherly performances from a myriad of genres, each of which would certainly make for an inspired viewing. These moms have the ability to make us feel laughter, suspense, warmth, or fright, and we have come to love them and the actresses who portrayed these characters.
Linda Hamilton as 'Sarah Connor' in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Sarah Connor is one hell of a mom. Any other woman would break under the pressure of knowing her future son would become the leader of the human resistance against robot overlords, but what does Sarah do? After being given the information by the now dead, time traveling father of her child, she went full-on doomsday prepper, bulking up for the robo-apocalypse. Her son, John, may not have appreciated her dedication, but she did do it because of love. Sure, the fear of a nuclear holocaust may also be a factor, and her constant drive to kill all those involved who have a hand robot’s future dominion over man may but a divide between her and her son, but when it comes down to it, Sarah Connor is the mom you want in your corner.
- Marcelo Pico
Mia Farrow as 'Rosemary Woodhouse' in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
While I’d agree there are no “perfect” films, Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby comes awfully damn close. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) for all appearances is your typical young married woman. That is, until Satan decides she’s the vessel for his spawn. What she thinks is a normal pregnancy is anything but. Her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), pretty much sells his soul (and his wife’s body) to the devil in order to become a famous actor. Thrown in the wacky Satanists couple from next door (Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer) along with Polanski almost oppressive, at times, direction and you’ve got yourself one hell of a scary film.
- Sarah Jane
Debbie Reynolds as 'Beatrice Henderson' in Mother (1996)
Co-written, starring, directed by Albert Brooks, Mother stars Debbie Reynolds and Brooks as mother and son. Brook’s plays John Henderson, a writer has gone through two failed marriages and is trying to find a solution to his relationship problems. The ‘brilliant’ plan he comes up with is moving in with his mother. What better way to solve his female troubles than to go directly to the source. Reynolds is perfectly cast as Brooks’ mother, they butt heads at the most mundane things — there are scenes involving the freshness of food that play out for longer than they should, but they work regardless thanks to their performances and the sharp script. In the end, John finds the answer to his riddle by doing something us with mothers close to use should try to do more often: understand her.
- Marcelo Pico
Tilda Swinton as 'Eva Khatchadourian' in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Does maternal love know no bounds? That's the question raised by Lynn Ramsay's 2011 thriller We Need To Talk About Kevin. Kevin (Ezra Miller) is a problem child to the extreme, he is manipulative and abusive to his mother, Eva (Tilda Swinton) from an early age and puts on a sweet face around his father and sister so that nobody will believe her. It's easy for us to hate Kevin, I think that what he does by the end of the movie is unforgivable, completely ruining his life, his mother's, and countless others. But what is amazing and totally beyond comprehension unless you've been there, is that, even after all he has done, Eva still accepts him as her child in the final scene, allowing him to cry in mommy's shoulder.
- Marcus Irving
Anne Ramsey as 'Momma' in Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
“You're gonna be nothing. You're gonna be nothing. You'll never get to first base. All you do is type, type, type, type, type, type. You sit there typing all day like a fat little pigeon.”
Anne Ramsey is an absolute nightmare in Danny DeVito’s directorial debut, Throw Momma from the Train. Constantly belittling and abusing her adult son, Owen, played with a mousy demeanor by DeVito. Ramsey gives an all timer performance, embodying this truly despicable character, throwing out numerous one-liners while also bringing a pathos to the role that most actresses would likely ignore in pursuit of a cheap laugh. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and rightly so, since without her I doubt the picture would be as memorable as it is.
- Matt Curione
Uma Thurman as 'The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo' in Kill Bill (2003-2004)
Uma Thurman embodies the ultimate mama bear in Quentin Tarantino’s two-part revenge epic Kill Bill. Nicknamed 'The Bride', she tears through her kill list with determination and ferocity. Uma Thurman offers the performance of her career in this film, giving her maternal rage a sadness and vulnerability. Kill Bill isn’t your typical Mother’s Day movie, but it does provide a thrilling story about the lengths a woman will go to for her child. The Bride is a killing machine in the first volume, and she slowly develops her humanity as she gets closer and closer to her goal. It’s a bravura performance of a textured character; The Bride is one memorable and marvelous mother.
