As a tribute to moms everywhere, here is a list, off the top of my head, of my favorite moms in film and, in some cases, favorite mom characters:
Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment AND Postcards from the Edge
Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment
Meryl Streep in One True Thing
Dee Wallace in E.T.
Helen Hunt in As Good as it Gets
Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest
Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist
JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist
Diane Keaton in Baby Boom
Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby
Jane Darwell in The Grapes of Wrath
Donna Reed in It’s a Wonderful Life
Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2
Jessica Tandy in The Birds
Mary Louise Parker in Fried Green Tomatoes
Marie-Christine Barrault in Stardust Memories
Frances McDormand in Almost Famous AND Fargo
I kind of did these on top of my head and I know I’m forgetting others. Also, it occurs to me as I’m writing this that my list is very whitey, with not a lot of ethnic diversity. Is it possible there aren’t many archetypes for mothers, either unwed or wed, who are also strong or heroic? Does your ethnicity determine what kind of mother audiences will accept? What is the difference between a stranded black mother and a stranded white mother in Hollywood films? Food for thought. Either way, Happy Mother’s Day.
