Entertainment
13 Great Movies To Watch With Your Mom This Mother's Day, From 'Brave' To 'Because I Said So'
If you're lucky enough to be spending Mother's Day alongside your mom, it's a safe bet that your day together will consist of at least a few hours on the couch, watching some beloved TV show or whatever movies are left in your Netflix queue. Yet while an episode of Friends or the last 10 minutes of Dirty Dancing might be fine for an ordinary occasion, Mother's Day is about celebrating your relationship with your mom — which means that whatever you choose to watch together should be reflective of just that.
Want to watch a movie alongside your mom that emphasizes just how much you love her, but not sure what films fit the bill? Read on for 13 choices bound to please both mom and daughter this Sunday.
Image: Universal
'Mamma Mia'
Sure, the plot revolves around Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) possible fathers, but the heart of the movie belongs to the relationship between Sophie and her mom, Donna (Meryl Streep). It’s sweet, funny, and filled with great music — what’s not to love?
Image: Universal
'Terms of Endearment'
Be prepared: watch this movie with your mom, and you will cry. The story of the overbearing Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and her sick daughter Emma (Debra Winger) is a tear-jerker, and by the time the credits roll, you’ll be a sobbing mess in your mom’s arms.
Image: Paramount
'Brave'
No other Disney or Pixar movie has tackled mother-daughter relationships as well as Brave, which showed the close, complex bond between a fiery kid named Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald) and her mom, Elinor (Emma Thompson).
Image: Disney
'Lovely and Amazing'
All of Nicole Holofcener’s movies tackle female relationships beautifully, but Lovely and Amazing gives the best look at the bond between mothers and daughters. The film, about a woman (Brenda Blethyn) and her three girls (two adults and one adopted child), is funny and moving, the perfect movie to watch with your own mom.
Image: Lionsgate
'Because I Said So'
Is Because I Said So, a Diane Keaton-led rom-com from 2007, a particularly good movie? No. Is it a silly, fun movie to see with your mom? Absolutely.
Image: Universal
'Erin Brockovich'
Watch this with your mom and realize just how much of a badass she really is.
Image Universal
'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'
For this quote, and this quote alone: “Toula, on my wedding night, my mother, she said to me, ‘Greek women, we may be lambs in the kitchen, but we are tigers in the bedroom.’”
Image: IFC Films
'Panic Room'
If you need a reminder of how far your mom would go to protect you from danger, Panic Room is it. Try watching Jodie Foster defend pre-teen Kristen Stewart from burglars and not want to give your mother a huge hug.
Image: Columbia
'Steel Magnolias'
Another tear-jerker, but with its share of laugh-out-loud moments, too, Steel Magnolias provides a rollercoaster of emotions for a mother-daughter afternoon.
Image: TriStar
'Freaky Friday'
I’m saying it: Freaky Friday is a perfect movie. And while you can certainly enjoy it alone, watching it alongside your mom is a much better experience.
Image: Buena Vista
'The Princess Diaries'
Bring your grandmother along to this one. The story of Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) discovering she’s a princess should be enjoyed by all generations.
Image: Buena Vista
'The Joy Luck Club'
Sure, the book is better. But even still, the movie’s story of four Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters is moving and sweet.
Image: Buena Vista
'Grey Gardens'
Is the Beales’ relationship functional? Absolutely not. Is it hugely entertaining to watch, especially with your (hopefully more normal) mom by your side? Oh, yes.
Image: HBO
