I’ve been a mother for 26 years—in fact, for most of my life, I’ve been someone’s mom. My son is now in his mid-20’s and with the addition of my 16 year-old daughter, I have a combined 42 years of motherhood under my belt. I’m 44, so you can do the math–being a mom is all I know.
Motherhood is such a complex yet wondrous thing that many of us are blessed to experience. In cinema, there are a bevy of films that have motherhood as its focal point to help showcase the good and bad of being someone’s mother. Many of these movies are classics and heartfelt favorites that tug at the heartstrings of us all.
To help commemorate and honor Mother’s Day, I’ve created a list of 25 Movies That Celebrate Motherhood.
Get into my list:
Terms of Endearment
This is hands-down my favorite movie, as I fell in love with it the summer of 88 when I was a mere 13 years old. The plot focuses on a overprotective mom who becomes a widow at a young age, therefore projecting her hopes and ill-fated dreams on her one and only child, Emma. What we get is two and a half hours of a masterclass of scriptwriting and directing, as the movie spans a 20 year timespan and a mother and daughter’s up and down relationship.
Starring Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, and Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment is the quintessential movie about motherhood and its imperfections.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, and Hulu (via Showtime).
Soul Food
Me and my love recently watched this movie for the first time in years, and it still remains a classic movie that you can never get tired of. Centered on Big Mama and her three daughters, all of whom are married but have issues of their own, she tries to hold the family together as she succumbs to an illness that changes the family forever.
Featuring a cast of three generations, motherhood was never done better than in Soul Food.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime (via Starz), Google Play, and iTunes.
Steel Magnolias
How can we forget this southern tale of four women who are navigating different issues and problems while being strong as steel? This is hands-down one of my favorites movies from the 90’s featuring an ensemble female cast that still resonates.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Baby Boom
What happens when a successful working mom who lives in the bustling city that is The Big Apple is bequeathed a baby girl? Why, she pivots of course. Watch this film to see how this yuppie transforms her life for the better, all the while learning how to be a mom during on-the-job training.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Look Who’s Talking
This film is a comical look at motherhood from the lens of a baby and a first time mom who falls in love unexpectedly. And Bruce Willis’ baby voiceover magic is the best part of the movie.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Mildred Pierce
Joan Crawford is a divorced mom of two who builds her own empire to help her two daughters live the best lives possible. But after a tragic turn, one daughter is never satisfied, and Mildred Pierce is forced to come to terms with a daughter who won’t turn out the way she thought.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Mermaids
Cher plays a free-spirited single mom of two girls who relocate to Massachusetts. What happens next? Well, you’ll have to watch.
Where to watch: Sling, Vudu.
Rosemary’s Baby
This 1968 horror film starring Mia Farrow follows Rosemary Woodhouse, a newlywed who is expecting. Will it be a boy, a girl, or something else?
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netlix, Google Play, and iTunes.
Mommie Dearest
Mommie Dearest follows the true tale of Christina Crawford, who was adopted as a baby by Academy Award winning actress, Joan Crawford. This campy flick is full of one-liners and you’ll never look at wire hangers the same again.
Get a full review of the movie.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, IFC, and iTunes.
Imitation of Life
There have been a few different versions of this movie, and I prefer the 1959 version with Lana Turner and Jaunita Moore best. The film follows two mothers, one white and one black, who struggle with issues with their daughters.
It’s a very soap opera-esque type of classic fare, but don’t let it stop you from watching this version. Have tissues handy.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Eve’s Bayou
In this visually stunning film set in Louisiana, a young girl comes to grips with the reality that her family isn’t really what it seems, and that her mother may be turning the other cheek, even though she’s destined for heartache.
YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, and iTunes
Claudine
The film makes another mention on a movie list of mine. I love this film with all of my heart, and because it centers on a mother with six kids, it definitely should bear mention here. A black woman in Harlem trying to make it on welfare while trying to strive for something better is the type of motherhood story that deserves to be told. The film Claudine tells it so poignantly.
Lady Bird
Being a mom to a young lady who is opinionated and headstrong is a difficult task. Lady Bird is no exception.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Netlix, Google Play, and Vudu.
Postcards From the Edge
Our beloved Carrie Fisher shares her semi-autobiographical relationship with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, and all of the ups and downs and in betweens as screenwriter. Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine nail it making this a masterclass on Motherhood 101.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Juno
A teen mom is forced to make a decision that will impact her life.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Freaky Friday
There are two versions of this movie and I don’t know which one I like best, so I’ll say, just watch one of them and you won’t go wrong. What happens when a mother and a daughter switch roles? Why, comedy of course.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Disney+, and iTunes.
Mother’s Day
Watch as a stellar ensemble cast showcase the relationships, good or bad, with their moms. This movie is a delight for sure.
Where to watch: YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, and Vudu.
Mamma Mia!
Based on the musical of the same name, this 2008 film is the story of Sophie Sheridan who wants to know who her “real” father is, much to her mother’s chagrin.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, and iTunes.
Baby Mama
This is what happens when two women decide to have a baby–together.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Stepmom
This movie is a sappy, saccharine look at motherhood and the blending of families.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
The Joy Luck Club
This is an amazing book turned film about the relationships between Chinese women and their Chinese immigrant mothers. I never get tired watching this film.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play.
Because I Said So
Before Mandy Moore played a mother on This is Us, she played a daughter whose mother (played by Diane Keaton) was an overbearing parent of three. It’s funny and sappy a the same time, and a perfect Mother’s Day movie.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, and iTunes.
Serial Mom
She’s a modern day version of Donna Reed, but with a killing streak. This is a comedic take at motherhood, and if you haven’t seen it, you need to do so stat!
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and iTunes.
Tully
Tully is a sentimental look at motherhood, and focuses on a mother of three and a nanny who is just what she needs to help her get through.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Google Play.
I hope that my list of movies that celebrate motherhood help you enjoy your Mother’s Day that much more.
What are your favorites?
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