Throughout the history of cinema, mothers have had an everlasting impact on the screen characters we love. And, as we get ready for Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 10), Indiewire cordially invites you to celebrate some of the movie’s most memorable moms, courtesy of the Indiewire contributor blog Press Play(which Roger Ebert called “the best video essay source on the web”) and independent digital filmmaker, writer and content creator, Nelson Carvajal.
A list of the moms appearing in this video essay, in order:
Flowers in the Attic
Mother (Victoria Tennant)
Sounder
Rebecca Morgan (Cicely Tyson)
Bambi
Bambi’s Mother (Paula Winslowe)
The Incredibles
Helen Parr (Holly Hunter)
Mrs. Miniver
Mrs. Miniver (Greer Garson)
Precious
Mary (Mo’Nique)
Gloria
Gloria Swenson (Gena Rowlands)
The Grifters
Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston)
Mask
Florence ‘Rusty’ Dennis (Cher)
Cinderella
Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton)
Not Without My Daughter
Betty Mahmoody (Sally Field)
Freaky Friday
Mrs. Andrews (Barbara Harris)
Mother
Beatrice Henderson (Debbie Reynolds)
Bloody Mama
‘Ma’ Kate Barker (Shelley Winters)
The Manchurian Candidate
Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin (Angela Lansbury)
Mildred Pierce
Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford)
Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow)
New York Stories
Mother (Mae Questel)
Freaky Friday
Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis)
Ordinary People
Beth (Mary Tyler Moore)
Throw Momma From The Train
Momma (Anne Ramsey)
Mommie Dearest
Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway)
Serial Mom
Beverly R. Sutphin (Kathleen Turner)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Monica Swinton (Frances O’Connor)
American Gangster
Mama Lucas (Ruby Dee)
Carrie
Margaret White (Piper Laurie)
The Brood
Nola Carveth (Samantha Egger)
Mother
Mother (Hye-ja Kim)
The Fighter
Alice Ward (Melissa Leo)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton)
Psycho
Norma Bates (Virginia Gregg)
Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire (Robin Williams)
American Pie
Stifler’s Mom (Jennifer Coolidge)
The Kids Are All Right
Nic (Annette Bening)
Jules (Julianne Moore)
Mamma Roma
Mamma Roma (Anna Magnani)
Goodfellas
Tommy’s Mother (Catherine Scorsese)
Dumbo
Mrs. Jumbo (Verna Felton)
Sophie’s Choice
Sophie (Meryl Streep)
Philadelphia
Sarah Beckett (Joanne Woodward)
Terms of Endearment
Emma Horton (Debra Winger)
Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine)
Boyz N The Hood
Mrs. Baker (Tyra Ferrell)
Monster’s Ball
Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry)
The Passion of the Christ
Mary (Maia Morgenstern)
The Curious Base of Benjamin Button
Queenie (Taraji P. Henson)
Stepmom
Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon)
Forrest Gump
Mrs. Gump (Sally Field)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Bonnie Grape (Darlene Cates)
The Fox and the Hound
Tod’s Mother (N/A)
Beaches
Hillary Whitney Essex (Barbara Hershey)
A Farewell to Arms
Catherine Barkley (Helen Hayes)
