Buzz
Movies have captivated us emotionally ever since Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera. At their best, they transport us into worlds filled with creatures, aliens, and superheroes that thrill and terrify, but also offer moments of humor and poignancy that resonate with our own experiences.
Few film themes stir our emotions like those that explore the deep bond of motherhood and the unique relationship we have with the one who brought us into this world. Whether you are a mother yourself or deeply grateful for the mom who has cared for you from the moment you were born, this list celebrates ten of Hollywood's best films about the joys and challenges of motherhood.
10. Dumbo
In 1938, Roy and Walt Disney, riding the success of their animated hit Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, gifted their parents a new, modern home in Los Angeles. This state-of-the-art house included amenities like a gas furnace, but tragically, a gas leak from the furnace led to the death of their mother. This loss is believed to have influenced a recurring theme in Disney films, such as Bambi and Cinderella, where orphans struggle to overcome the death of a beloved parent.
One of Disney Studios' most iconic animated films centers not on the death of a mother, but on the painful separation between a mother and her child. This theme is poignantly captured in the 1941 classic fantasy film Dumbo. In a heartbreaking scene, Mrs. Jumbo, the baby elephant's mother, is locked away in a circus wagon and can’t see her son. She tenderly cradles him with her trunk, singing the lullaby 'Baby Mine' before their tearful goodbye. If you’ve watched this touching moment and didn’t feel a lump in your throat, you might want to check your pulse.
9. Terms of Endearment
What more can be said about a film that delves into the three-decade relationship between a mother and daughter, which not only became a critical and commercial success but also earned five Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Picture? While it might not be the absolute greatest film ever made about the joys and sorrows of motherhood, Shirley MacLaine’s portrayal of widow Aurora Greenway and Debra Winger as her daughter Emma struck a chord with many women, reflecting the sometimes loving, sometimes contentious nature of their bond. Interestingly, the tension between the characters was mirrored by the tension between the two actresses during production.
Other viewers might find themselves relating to Emma’s troubled marriage to her professor husband, Flap, or to Aurora’s turbulent on-again, off-again relationship with astronaut Garrett Breedlove, played by the legendary Jack Nicholson. Director James L. Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay, originally wrote the astronaut role for Burt Reynolds, but Reynolds turned it down to star in the universally derided Cannonball Run II. When asked later about his decision, Reynolds humorously remarked, 'There are no awards in Hollywood for being an idiot.'
8. Stella Dallas
In what remains one of the most tear-jerking films ever made about the sacrifices of motherhood, Barbara Stanwyck, known for her roles in classics like Double Indemnity and The Lady Eve, arguably delivered her finest performance in the 1937 melodrama Stella Dallas. Following the time-honored formula of a tragic romance between a poor girl and a rich boy, which would later reach its peak with 1970's Love Story, Stella Dallas offers a fresh take, centering on the complex mother-daughter bond and the social divides that separate the families.
To further highlight Stella’s lower-class background, the role of her mother is played by none other than Marjorie Main, known for portraying ‘Ma Kettle’. The stark contrast between the worlds that Stella and her husband Stephen come from creates insurmountable challenges in their marriage, eventually leading to their separation. When Stephen reconnects with a former lover and seeks a divorce, their daughter Laurel becomes the pawn in their emotional game, pushing Stella to make the ultimate sacrifice for her child.
The final scene of Barbara Stanwyck watching her on-screen daughter, played by Anne Shirley, get married, is considered one of the most poignant moments in cinematic history. Many still argue that this scene should have earned Stanwyck the Best Actress Oscar, an honor she unexpectedly never received.
7. The Blind Side
Who says a movie about motherhood has to be heavy and heartbreaking? In the 2009 film The Blind Side, a mix of racial prejudice, adoptive motherhood, and sports come together to tell the true story of a white Memphis family who takes in a homeless African-American teenager and helps him discover a future that eventually leads him to an NFL career. For Sandra Bullock, this film not only earned her widespread critical praise but also awarded her the only Best Actress Oscar of her career to date.
Ironically, Sandra Bullock initially turned down the role in The Blind Side three times, citing her discomfort with portraying a character who was a devout Christian. However, after meeting Leigh Anne Tuohy, the real-life woman she would portray, Bullock’s perspective changed. She later admitted that, through the Tuohys, she regained faith in those who claim to represent a faith and that ‘religious faith can be authentic.’ Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect of The Blind Side is how a story about healing and acceptance, set in a world often torn apart by racial and religious prejudice, has an impact not only on the characters but also on the actors themselves.
6. Mildred Pierce
Legendary actress Joan Crawford finally won her only Best Actress Oscar for her starring role in the Warner Brothers film Mildred Pierce. After an 18-year tenure with MGM, Crawford left for the rival studio after being labeled 'box office poison' by the Independent Theater Owners Association of America in 1938.
When Crawford was cast as the lead in Mildred Pierce, director Michael Curtiz, who had preferred Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck for the role, initially balked. He reportedly grumbled, ‘Why should I waste my time directing a has-been?’ However, after seeing Crawford’s screen test, his opinion shifted. As a divorced woman who finds success as a restaurateur while doting on her ungrateful, self-centered daughter, Crawford shines in the role. It was a pioneering part for a strong female lead in the male-dominated genre of film noir. Ironically, Ann Blyth, who played her daughter Veda, formed a lasting bond with Crawford off-screen, and they became lifelong friends. Even when Crawford was accused of abuse by her adopted daughter Christina in the infamous memoir Mommie Dearest, Blyth defended her, saying, 'I have nothing but wonderful memories of Joan.'
5. I Remember Mama
Adapted from John Van Druten’s stage play and directed by George Stevens, the 1948 film I Remember Mama captured a heartfelt portrayal of an immigrant Norwegian family in San Francisco at the turn of the century. The movie, led by a stellar cast, earned five Academy Award nominations but, despite the praise, went home empty-handed.
In the role of Mama, Irene Dunne, an iconic actress renowned for her memorable collaborations with Cary Grant in some of Hollywood’s most beloved screwball comedies, shines as the matriarch of a family with four children. The story is narrated by Katrin, the eldest daughter and an aspiring writer. The plot itself draws parallels to The Waltons, though it takes place in a different era. Despite being fifty at the time, Dunne had to use makeup and padding to convincingly portray the older Mama, and she also mastered a Norwegian accent, aided by dialect coach Judith Sater.
Dunne’s performance earned her a fifth and final nomination for Best Actress, although she never won a competitive Oscar. After retiring from acting, she was honored with a Papal Knighthood and a Kennedy Center Honor for her contributions to the arts. The Oscar snub likely didn’t bother Dunne, who was affectionately known as “the first lady of Hollywood” among her colleagues.
4. Steel Magnolias
A quintessential “chick flick” designed to tug at heartstrings, the 1989 comedy-drama Steel Magnolias succeeded beyond measure. With Sally Field, who famously portrayed Forrest Gump’s mother, playing the matriarch of a family with the soon-to-be superstar Julia Roberts, and an impressive ensemble including Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and the iconic Dolly Parton as a beautician with a wig, it was hard to find fault. After a successful 16-week run in the box office, Steel Magnolias grossed over $95 million worldwide, vastly outpacing its $15 million production budget.
Adapted from Robert Harling's 1987 play, the film was partially inspired by his sister Susan, who tragically passed away due to complications from Type 1 diabetes. It struck a chord with mothers, daughters, and even a few men, despite the minimal roles given to male characters who largely took a backseat to the dominant female personalities. Central to the narrative was the strength of women and their ability to bond during moments of grief. This powerful theme would later be explored in a TV sitcom pilot starring Cindy Williams and a Lifetime TV Network remake featuring Queen Latifah and an all African-American cast.
3. Places in the Heart
Sally Field earned her second Academy Award for Best Actress in 1984 for portraying a resilient widow in the Great Depression struggling to raise two children while trying to save her family farm. With a supporting cast that featured Danny Glover as a wandering drifter and John Malkovich as a blind lodger, Field’s character triumphs with a ragtag crew similar to those found in John Wayne’s classic westerns, like Rio Bravo. Set in the 1930s in Waxahachie, Texas, the film is a labor of love for director and screenwriter Robert Benton, who also won an Oscar for his original screenplay.
Throughout the film, Field’s character transitions from a dedicated mother and homemaker to an empowered farmer and entrepreneur. She also takes on the difficult role of being both a mother and father, even disciplining her son when he is caught smoking at school. However, the heart of the story lies in the authenticity of its characters, which feel as real as the costumes and the Texan setting. Film critic Molly Haskell described Field’s portrayal of the mother as “her best performance ever.” It remains one of the most genuine performances in a film that continues to evoke the essence of a Norman Rockwell painting.
2. Imitation of Life
Based on the 1933 Fannie Hurst novel, Imitation of Life first made its way to the screen a year later with Claudette Colbert starring as a woman who builds a business empire from her black maid Delilah’s pancake recipe. Douglas Sirk’s visually remarkable 1959 remake stars Lana Turner, who takes on the role of a character aiming to become an actress, while maintaining the central theme of two single women raising daughters amidst various challenges.
In Sirk’s version, the character of Delilah, originally played by Louise Beavers, is reimagined as Annie, portrayed by Juanita Moore. Annie serves as a caretaker to the two young girls, and the complex mother-daughter dynamic between her and her daughter, Sarah Jane, becomes the film’s central emotional focus. At the heart of the narrative is Sarah Jane’s struggle to pass as “white” during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
Just like in the 1934 film, many viewers could empathize with Sarah Jane’s desire for equality, but her rejection of her loving African-American mother struck a nerve, particularly with black audiences. The film’s heartbreaking conclusion, where the guilt-ridden daughter throws herself upon her mother’s casket, remains a powerful emotional punch. Although the film was initially dismissed by critics in 1959 as melodramatic, many, including Emanuel Levy, now consider Imitation of Life to be a 1950s cinematic masterpiece.
1. Bachelor Mother
While Ginger Rogers is today most recognized as the dancer who could perform everything Fred Astaire did, “backward and in high heels,” she was also an Oscar winner at the height of her career. She earned the Best Actress award for her dramatic turn in the 1940 film Kitty Foyle. However, Rogers was at her best when showing off her flair for comedy, especially a year earlier in the romantic comedy Bachelor Mother, where she played a witty salesgirl with impeccable comedic timing.
In a film full of “mistaken identities,” Rogers is mistakenly thought to be an unwed mother after a baby is left on her doorstep. This confusion sparks a romance with her boss’s son, played by David Niven. At the same time, the foundling infant also finds its way into her heart, and Rogers’ career-driven character uncovers her latent maternal instincts.
Directed by Garson Kanin, the film skillfully bypassed censors with what was considered a bold topic for 1939. Set against the backdrop of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it’s surprising that this movie is rarely considered among the classic holiday films. Today, it remains an overlooked treasure that deserves a broader audience as one of the standout films from what is still regarded as Hollywood’s greatest year.
