Depictions of family life on the big screen have altered greatly over the decades. Yet the appeal of a strong and nurturing maternal figure has endured. With Mother’s Day approaching, movie fans may want to take advantage of the fact that numerous films featuring impressive moms are currently available for streaming.
Following, in alphabetical order, are capsule reviews of a dozen such pictures. Unless otherwise noted, the OSV News classification of each is A-III – adults and the Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“The Blind Side” (2009)
Inspirational family drama, based on real events, in which a wealthy white couple (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw) in Memphis, Tennessee, offer shelter to a homeless black student (Quinton Aaron) from their children’s (Lily Collins and Jae Head) school and, as he becomes an increasingly integral part of their clan, help him to hone his football skills while also hiring a determined tutor (Kathy Bates) to raise his academic standing. Driven by Bullock’s field-sweeping performance as the feisty, religiously motivated adoptive mother, writer-director John Lee Hancock’s unapologetically Christian tale of human solidarity across racial and class divides, adapted from Michael Lewis’ 2006 best-seller “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” is funny, shrewd and ultimately uplifting. Brief nongraphic marital lovemaking, at least one profanity, a few sexual and drug references, a half-dozen crass terms.
“Forrest Gump” (1994)
Inspired by the faith his mother (Sally Field) has in him, a slow-witted Southerner (Tom Hanks) becomes a football All-American, Vietnam hero and millionaire entrepreneur, despite intermittent rejection by his troubled, lifelong friend and sweetheart (Robin Wright). Director Robert Zemeckis’ big-hearted love story cleverly incorporates gimmicks into the narrative without ever losing focus on the emotional and spiritual development of the title character. A few discreet bedroom scenes, some intense battlefield violence, fleeting drug use and an instance of rough language.
“I Remember Mama” (1948)
Engaging, warm-hearted version of the John Van Druten play in which a daughter (Barbara Bel Geddes) recalls the nurturing influence of her mother (Irene Dunne) on her Norwegian American brood in San Francisco circa 1910. Produced and directed by George Stevens, the interplay of family life is richly depicted through good times and bad, convincingly portrayed by a cast including Oskar Homolka as the family patriarch, Ellen Corby as the spinster aunt and Edgar Bergen as her mousy beau. Sincere, affecting and universal in theme and appeal. The OSV News classification is A-I – general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
“I’m Still Here” (2025)
Resilience under political repression is personified by an indomitable matriarch in this inspiring adaptation of Marcelo Paiva’s 2015 memoir recounting how his family survived the worst years of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. Director Walter Salles and screenwriters Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega mingle the horror of abductions and murders with nostalgic memories of a large and loving family. Its mother (Fernanda Torres) keeps her son and four daughters protected after her husband (Selton Mello), a former politician turned architect, is taken away “for questioning,” never to return, and she herself is detained in a filthy prison while being interrogated about resistance activities in which she had no involvement. Along the way, she learns how to make material sacrifices in order to build a secure future, and never stops yearning for eventual justice. Claustrophobic terror is no match for her strength. In Portuguese with subtitles. References to torture, brief upper female nudity, fleeting profanities and crude language.
“Little Man Tate” (1991)
Poignant drama concerns a lonely, genius-level 7-year-old (Adam Hann-Byrd) torn between his love for his unmarried, barmaid mom (Jodie Foster) and the intellectual stimulation offered by a book-bound psychologist (Dianne Wiest) who takes him away from home. Also directed by Foster, the movie presents an affecting story about the emotional vs. intellectual needs of one gifted child but cops out with a typical Hollywood happy ending. Brief bedroom scene. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
“Little Women” (2019)
Elegant, vibrantly emotional adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel from writer-director Greta Gerwig. The familiar March sisters, Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), are presented in the format of a non-linear memory play, with Jo, first shown as an adult writer, recalling the episodes that formed their characters and shaped their life decisions. The main storyline finds feckless Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) longing to marry Jo but ending up with Amy. Moviegoers who already love these characters will get the lush presentation they hope to see. And Gerwig’s occasional alterations prove she’s equally adept at accurate history and subtle moral messaging. Mature themes, including death. A-II (PG)
“Places in the Heart” (1984)
Sally Field plays a young widow struggling to keep her family together and her integrity intact after her husband’s death in rural Texas during the Depression. Under Robert Benton’s direction, Field’s performance winningly conveys a character of strong faith and goodwill in the face of adversity. A-II (PG)
“A Quiet Place” (2018)
This compact, stylish horror film might be a parable about resisting tyranny. Taken strictly on its surface, it’s a story about how strong, trusting family ties can overcome any obstacle, especially if the members of the clan in question (led by John Krasinski, who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay) are as technically adept as TV’s MacGyver. Krasinski’s character, his wife (Emily Blunt) and two surviving children (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe) initially evade and eventually battle the invading aliens, armed with incredibly acute hearing, who killed his youngest. Gun and physical violence with fleeting gore, the death of a youngster, a scene of childbirth.
“Richard Jewell” (2019)
Director Clint Eastwood’s sympathetic profile of the titular security guard (Paul Walter Hauser) who quickly went from hero to villain in the public mind when he was accused of planting the three pipe bombs that he himself first discovered, and helped to save people from, during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Dogged by an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) convinced of his guilt and a relentless mob of journalists led by a newspaper reporter (Olivia Wilde) who’s out for a sensational story at any cost, he turns for help to his former boss, a maverick attorney (charismatic Sam Rockwell). The canny, hard-bitten lawyer and his naive client make for an interesting odd couple and Kathy Bates is in fine form as Jewell’s doting mother. But a steamy subplot and other factors make Eastwood’s fairly gripping film, which draws on both a book and an article, inappropriate fare for youngsters. An implied nonmarital encounter, brief violence, mature references including to homosexuality, about a dozen uses of profanity, frequent rough and crude language. The Motion Picture Association rating is R – restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
“Room” (2016)
Poignant study of the love between a mother (Brie Larson) and her 5-year-old son (Jacob Tremblay) both of whom are held captive in a backyard shed by a sexual predator (Sean Bridgers) who kidnapped the young woman and fathered the boy. Born and raised within this confined space, the lad is confused by tales of the outside world but must rally his courage when an opportunity for escape presents itself. In adapting her own 2010 novel, screenwriter Emma Donoghue successfully renders everyday life as an alien environment for her bewildered protagonist, who also narrates, while subtly examining human adaptability, the power of imagination and the ironies underlying what appears on the surface to be an all-too-straightforward situation. Viewers of faith will particularly appreciate the biblical overtones of director Lenny Abrahamson’s somber but ultimately hopeful parable, the moral impact of which may make it acceptable for some mature adolescents. Brief abusive violence, mature themes including serial rape and suicide, an overheard but unseen sexual encounter, a couple of profanities, several rough terms. (R)
“The Sound of Music” (1965)
Particularly fine screen version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about the formative years of the Trapp Family Singers in Austria between the two world wars. Its interesting story, solid cast (headed by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer), lovely music and intelligent lyrics, colorful scenery and pleasant fantasy will entertain the mind and enliven the spirit. Directed by Robert Wise, the movie has held up over the years as thoroughly refreshing family entertainment. A-I The Motion Picture Association rating is G – general audiences. All ages admitted.
“Stella Dallas” (1937)
Sentimental tale of a small-town wife (Barbara Stanwyck) whose husband (John Boles) gets a good job in New York while she stays behind raising their daughter (Anne Shirley) until she realizes the youngster will have a better life with her father and his new wife. Director King Vidor’s classic tearjerker about a mother’s love and self-sacrifice has a well-plotted script, neatly defined class distinctions and a stand-out performance by Stanwyck. Some domestic strife. A-II (nr)
