With his film Mother鈥檚 Day hitting theatres this week, ensemble-cast impresario Garry Marshall has created the perfect Mother鈥檚 Day gift: a movie night out with mom that鈥檚 all about her (no overpriced bouquet needed).
Jennifer Aniston stars as a single mom looking for a new start, Kate Hudson is a woman looking to strengthen the relationship with her own mother and Julia Roberts is a TV presenter focusing on her career. Co-starring Jason Sudeikis and Timothy Olyphant, it鈥檚 the story of four families who come together and fall apart leading up to Mother鈥檚 Day.
And while you鈥檙e in the mommy mood, here are five other films to dig out that celebrate and vilify the mothers in your life:
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Alien
In 1986, James Cameron created sci-fi鈥檚 best heroine 鈥� and most ferocious adoptive mom 鈥� in Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, who takes maternal responsibility for Newt (Carrie Henn) and doing battle with another mother, an alien insect spawning pods of creatures that keep killing off the humans aboard Ripley鈥檚 ship. That leads to the famous mom-versus-mom smackdown between Ripley and the alien, complete with memorable battle cry, 鈥淕et away from her, you bitch!鈥�
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Rosemary鈥檚 Baby
Mothers in horror films have much to endure, and none more so than Rosemary (Mia Farrow) in Roman Polanski鈥檚 1968 hit. Rosemary鈥檚 husband (John Cassavetes) gives the OK for the devil to have sex with his wife, if only he can get a starring role in a play. Torment and soul-searching ensue during the pregnancy, not to mention the true horror of childbirth. But the serene smile on Rosemary鈥檚 face as she looks upon her demon-baby for the first time speaks to the power of a mother鈥檚 undying love.
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Sophie鈥檚 Choice
A young Holocaust survivor鈥檚 story unravels in flashbacks during the course of the film, culminating in the famous, horrific choice that no mother wishes to make. Upon boarding the trains for concentration camps, a Nazi commander propositions Sophie (Meryl Streep) and tells her she may keep either her young son or young daughter, not both. Sophie breathes but is barely alive, tormented by a mother鈥檚 worst nightmare.
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Terms of Endearment
Shirley Maclaine and Debra Winger are mother and daughter who frequently clash, especially after a marriage that mom disapproves of. As mom Aurora navigates her own new relationship with a neighbour (Jack Nicholson), daughter Emma gets sick, and apologies and deathbed amends need to be made in the weepiest movie ending ever.
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Mommie Dearest
Come on, it had to be mentioned! Nothing will make you feel better about your relationship with your own mother than watching Faye Dunaway go gaga over wire hangers in this 1981 biopic about Joan Crawford. Hangers is the most oft-remembered scene, but Dunaway鈥檚 performance throughout became the guidebook for abusive mom-portrayals for years to come.
