Mother-Daughter Movies to Watch on Mother’s Day

            There are more than enough films “about a girl and her father,” but there are few movies about mother-daughter relationships.  Negativity between girls and their moms dates back to ancient Greece with Electra and Queen Clytemnestra.  Clashing moms and teenage daughters is practically a stereotype, and I notice there are some films that confront this issue.  Here are five fun movies to watch on Mother’s Day that involve mothers, daughters, and even grandmothers.

           

1.  Freaky Friday (1976, 2003)  This cross generational classic has been remade numerous times, but the two most widely released depict different time periods of mother-daughter relationships and social atmospheres.  One daughter is a star athlete, and the other is a guitar heroine in the later version.  In the original, the mother is a homemaker, which is surprising since the Women’s Lib movement was underway.  In the 2003 remake, the mom is a psychologist and selling her book.

2.  Brave (2012)  Move over, King Triton!  There have been enough Disney movies with absent mother figures.  In this animated feature, the queen gets more attention than the king.  The film deals with emotional problems commonly faced in parenting, like listening to each side of the argument.  The story is set in medieval Scotland, but the lessons transcend to modern times.

3.  The Princess Diaries (2001)  In terms of motherhood, this movie brings out the differences between Mia’s mom and the grandmotherly queen played by Julie Andrews.  Mia’s mother, Helen, has empathetic qualities, and is more artistic and laidback, whereas Queen Clarisse is more strict and set in the ways of royalty’s complex of rules and social mores.

4.  Keeping Mum (2005)  A more endearing version of Serial Mom, this is a film where Professor McGonagall goes on a killing spree.  The eye-opening connection between the morbid houseguest and hosts somewhat alludes to Voltaire’s L’Ingenu.  Moreover, the family’s wild side drips down the bloodline in different ways.

5.  Mothers and Daughters (2016)  I have yet to see this movie.  It appears to cover multiple mother-daughter situations.  Maybe I’ll watch it this weekend with my mom.

We have enough Daddy-Daughter films where everybody’s happy.  There are enough negative movies about abusive moms like in Stephen King’s Carrie.  There should be movies that involve the harmonious side to maternity and overcoming emotional obstacles, which a mother and daughter can sit down and watch on Mother’s Day.