With Mothers' Day right around the corner it seemed appropriate to celebrate some of our favorite moms from the silver screen (in no particular order). These moms are great in more ways than one and they make us proud with how far they'll go for their kids. A big THANK YOU to our moms! We hope our moms would agree with these choices . . . .
Jay's Picks:
Peg Boggs in Edward Scissorhands
Played by Dianne Wiest
When Peg Boggs pulls up to the scary mansion on the hill, desperate to find anyone willing to buy her Avon products, she never dreamed she would find the lonely Edward living alone. Instead of retreating in terror at his strangeness and sharp appendages, she looks at him, smiles and says, "Well, you'll just have to come home with me." Tim Burton's masterful Edward Scissorhands is all about one outcast's search for a family and for love and it is Peg, his adoptive mother, who is the warm light of the movie. Diane Wiest gives one of her most memorable performances as a mother who, despite the upheaval that bringing this odd man into her family's life causes, never betrays the maternal instincts that tell her there is nothing but good in Edward's heart.
Diane Freeling in Poltergeist
Played by JoBeth Williams
Diane Freeling seems to be living the perfect life in Reagan's America of the early 1980's. Her husband, Steven (Craig T. Nelson) is a successful real estate agent, she has three healthy children and a beautiful new home. Unfortunately that perfect house was built on top of an ancient Indian burial ground, and the resulting spirits who besiege her family have designs on her young daughter, Carol Ann. JoBeth Williams gives an emotionally powerful performance as she struggles to keep her family together when little Carol Ann is kidnapped into another spectral plane. While her husband seems to slowly lose his sanity it is Diane, the mother, who stays strong and fights back against the poltergeist that wants her young child's life force. And who can forget the terrifying scene when she slides into the unfinished swimming pool in her backyard, only to find herself face to face with the decomposed bodies lying in wait?
Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment
Played by Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine won a Best Actress Oscar in 1984 for her portrayal of uptight Texas matriarch, Aurora Greenway. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry, Terms is probably the best, most realistic portrayal of a turbulent mother/daughter relationship. Debra Winger also shines as Aurora's headstrong daughter, Emma, who, in her mother's opinion, marries the wrong man and throws her life and potential away by moving with him to Des Moines, Iowa and having three kids. Despite their distance their love and friendship remains strong. Things turn tragic when Emma is diagnosed with terminal cancer and in the films final act MacLaine really shines as her tough-as-nails veneer cracks watching the girl she raised slowly succumb to her disease. When she sobs, grasping onto her son-in-law and declares, "Nothing is harder!" I dare you to try and not be moved by a mother's love for her child and best friend.
Elaine Miller in Almost Famous
Played by Frances McDormand
Based on writer/director Cameron Crowe's actual mother, Alice, Frances McDormand's performance as Elaine, the mother of young, budding rock journalist, William Miller (Patrick Fugit) in Almost Famous is a virtuoso study of the overprotective parent struggling with letting go. When her teenage son manages to finagle his way into landing a writing gig for Rolling Stone magazine Elaine's life begins to unravel. A somewhat controlling woman, who obviously lives her life through her children, which she raised on her own, she begrudgingly lets William go on tour with a popular rock band despite her disapproval. She was nominated for an Oscar for Supporting Actress for this role, but I feel is often overlooked when the film is discussed. The love, hurt and desperation she feels comes pouring out when she cries out to her son over the phone, "I miss you and I love you!" as he is distracted by all the sights and sounds of the rock and roll lifestyle around him.
Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Played by Linda Hamilton
Science fiction's ultimate badass mom, what list would be complete without Sarah Connor from James Cameron's epic Terminator movies? Linda Hamilton plays our heroine for the second time in this sequel to what was already a classic of the genre. What makes her so great in Judgement Day is how she has become almost unrecognizable from the Sarah in the first film. She has sacrificed nearly all maternal instincts in order to protect her son, John, who will be the future savior of mankind. Instead she has become the very thing that was hunting her in the first movie - a Terminator - determined to change fate by killing an innocent man before he can create the machine that will kill billions. Emotionless, cold and ruthless, she has to discover what it means to be a mother again, and also come to realize that her mission to kill one man makes her no different than the machine that nearly killed her all those years ago.
Matt's Picks:
Flor Moreno in Spanglish
Played by Paz Vega
The much-underrated dramedy (drama-comedy) Spanglish from writer-director James L. Brooks may have not done so well in critics' eyes, but one of its successes was the character of Spanish maid and single mother Flor Moreno (Vega), who moves from her native Mexico to raise her young daughter, Cristina (Shelbie Bruce), in America so Cristina may have the opportunities Flor did not have. Upon coming to work for the Clasky family (Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, etc.), Flor discovers more than a mere language barrier as Mrs. Clasky (Leoni) has a completely different idea of "family." What makes Flor such a kick-a... -- sorry, mom -- kick-butt mom -- besides being brave to move hundreds of miles from home and raise a child on her own -- is that she never loses sight of who she is and the kinds of morals her daughter should grow up with -- even when certain spoils come her daughter's way. Flor is honest, hard-working and humble ... which makes her beautiful and a great mom! One of the best scenes is at the end of the film when Cristina is screaming at her mother in the middle of the street (while passersby stare), telling Flor how she'll never forgive her. And Vega's Flor gives this ready-to-cry look on her face while she blows out a heavy sigh of anguish, accepting her daughter's rage at what her daughter perceives as an unfair cruelty her mother has done to her. But the "unfair cruelty" is actually a mother doing what's best for her daughter -- even though her daughter cannot see it. Vega's face and experience in this scene is where every parent has been at least once (if not, many) in their life as a parent.
Mrs. Gump in Forrest Gump
Played by Sally Field
"Mama always said ..." And with that the biggest mama's boy in cinematic history (other than Norman Bates) proves his mom is one of the best and brightest! Another of my "great moms" has to be Sally Field's mama to Tom Hanks' titular character. Mrs. Gump will do anything for her son -- even if it means humping the school headmaster so her son can go to a normal school. She guides Forrest with her wisdom ("Stupid is as stupid does"; "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get"), but also allows him to leave when he needs to -- whether it's to college or to war. She is not only his greatest supporter but also his greatest teacher, giving him life lessons. When Forrest needs a place to go for comfort, support, and love, he always knows to go to her home. Field portrays Mrs. Gump with the gusto, wit, and wisdom.
Karen Buckman in Parenthood
Played by Mary Steenburgen
The title of Ron Howard's classic 1989 film says it all! And with a title like that, there are bound to be plenty of moms in the film ... and there are! Five of them in total (Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Harley Jane Kozak, Eileen Ryan, and Helen Shaw); well, six by the end of the film. Don't get me wrong, they're all great! But the one who tops them all is Gil's (Steve Martin) wife, Karen Buckman (Steenburgen). The struggles she and Martin face in the film are basic, real-life struggles and she faces them with calm, warmth, understanding, patience and support. However, she's no shrinking violet. When she and Gil get into an argument about having another baby -- and Gil is frustrated and angry -- she fires back at his contempt. She also shows her understanding when she tears up after hearing Gil's grandmother's story about the roller coaster. The film went on to be such a success that Jason Katims and NBC adapted the film into a successful 2010 TV series, with Monica Potter taking on the role of Buckman, re-named as Kristina Braverman.
Helen "Elastigirl" Parr in The Incredibles
Played by Holly Hunter
Thankfully, kids have strong mothers to look up to with Disney movies like Brave, Dumbo, and Tarzan. But, one of my favorites has got to be The Incredibles' former superhero Elastigirl, Helen Parr (Hunter), who gives up fighting crime to be a stay-at-home mom to her husband and three kids. Doesn't sound very heroic (although it completely is!), but she proves her mettle when her husband is kidnapped and she has to go save his butt from a maniacal fanboy-turned-supervillain. When she discovers her two oldest kids have stowed away to join her, she takes on the life-threatening danger with an even cooler head. She is perceptive, and believes in safety, accountability and honesty -- whether it's in a relationship, as a mother, or when saving the world. She guides her children on how to use their powers but also while remaining responsible. It doesn't matter whether she's animated or not (the same with the other respective moms in the Disney films I listed). She holds all of the great qualities of a great mom.
Ellen Ripley in Aliens
Played by Sigourney Weaver
The best moms can definitely be -- and most times are -- the ones who adopt or take guardianship over kids who aren't biologically related. Upon awakening from a 57-year stasis and finding out her biological daughter, Amanda, has died from natural causes, Ripley sinks into a depression and agrees to act as a consultant to accompany a group of Marines to the planet where her crew first encountered the alien in the first film, Alien. While there, she discovers one lone survivor of the colony: a little girl nicknamed Newt (Carrie Henn). Ripley's maternal instinct kicks in and makes her the badass she has come to be known as in pop culture history! She totes heavy weaponry, goes back into a self-destructing colony and fights the Alien Queen (with the help of the Caterpillar P-5000) mano-a-mano! Ripley's warmth, compassion and love for Newt are what make her that protective mother willing to fight another protective mother for the life of her child, which is something any loving, caring mom can surely understand.
agreed
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